Public opinion towards use of tobacco
Like every great debate there is two sides, with tobacco it is no different. You have the side of the smokers and the side of the non-smokers. Let's start with the smokers; smokers truly believe that they should be allowed to smoker almost where they please. They don't think that they should be allowed to smoke at a restaurant in the middle of dinner but they want to be able to smoke without going outside. Back about 20 years ago you could go into a restaurant and the hostess would ask you Smoking or Non Smoking?
Then you would have a choice of where you can sit. Today there is only one choice and smokers do feel like that is fair. They do not think it is fair that the government can tell them where they can and cannot smoke. There are some places that do not even allow you to smoke near their doors. If tobacco companies can produce and sell the tobacco products legally then why should you as a citizen have the right to smoke it?
Little by little establishments have taken away the smokers right to smoke at their restaurants, some outdoor places have enforced the smoking rule because the smoke can easily effect the people who walk by the restaurant. You cannot smoke in some public parks anymore and this has smokers up in arms. They do not understand why they cannot smoke outside if it doesn't bother anyone, especially with all of the cars creating so much pollution and factories that are contributing to the Greenhouse Effect. Why are smokers being the only ones punished?
Non-Smokers feel a bit different as you could imagine. Non-smokers love that restaurants no longer allow smokers to smoke in the same places that they eat. Especially with children around they should not be subjected to tobacco smoke so young. Public places like the park as we mentioned has a mixed bag of comments.
Some non smokers are happy that their parks are free of smokers and some believe since it is outside then why not, since trees and grass are natural air purifiers the smoke that is in the air won't affect them, since most parks are big enough to go where someone who is smoking is not, they feel like some of the rights of smokers that have been taken away are unfair.
The car is another example, have you seen new cars these days, they do not come with ashtrays anymore. Carmakers are trying to deter smokers from smoking in the car but that doesn't stop them and instead of putting the cigarette out in the ashtray they are flicking them out of the window and this can cause more harm to others than it would to the person who is smoking in their car. Both smokers and non-smokers agree that there is a time and a place to allow people to smoke as long as it doesn't impact the other's right to peaceful and healthy enjoyment.