Dustin Brown
Dr. May
ASO
10 October 2014
Smoking Bans
Primary Source Reiss, Dan. "SmokeRing - Proposed Smoking Ban Ignites Debate in NYC." SmokeRing - Proposed Smoking Ban Ignites Debate in NYC. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. In this article by Dan Reiss he speaks about how smokers have a right to smoke and that right should not be taken away with from them. He gives his own personal experiences on how people are starting to treat smokers. Smoking Bans are quickly becoming a big issue with smoking causing lung cancer and other bad health issues to the smoker. People are now trying to say that the constitution actually justifies smoking bans and the right to take away smokers right to smoke. The fact that tobacco has had such a huge part in our history is another reason as to way the right to smoke it should not be taken away. Tobacco has had an impact on use agriculturally and socially. Many nonsmokers think even though tobacco has had a huge part in history it is to distractive and dangerous to allow it to be smoked. Even though it says in the constitution that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness nonsmokers believe that smoking is not a liberty. With tobacco being in our history for as long as it has it should not be dismissed as not a liberty. The fact that smoking has been completely acceptable till the past few years means that back in the day when it was stylish or considered cool to smoke it was a liberty but now that people don’t like getting a little smoke in their face or simple smelling it then it becomes an issue. Another point is that these bans should not be imposed onto business owners that allow smoking in their building. This runs away smokers and causes business to go down causing some business to either suffer or shut down. Businesses should be allowed to make their own rules considering they own the property and not the state so by imposing these bans your are over stepping your boundaries in those peoples life’s and also there rights has americans. Everyone has the right to smoke and should be allowed to do so we it is allowed. If a state wants to ban smoking in a state park or state run building then the rule should be followed but unless a private owner doesn’t want any smoking on their property or has sections for smokers set up then the smokers should be allowed to smoke where they want.
Secondary Source "In Defense of Smokers." Heartland Ideas. Heartland Institute, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. In this article by the Heartland Institute they have put together many different points of why smoking bans should not be allowed by using information they have found from other sources. This source has really helped me understand the point of view that a smoker would have. I do not smoke but I do not have a probably with smokers. They deserve the same rights that everyone else deserves. Taking away anyones right to smoke in a public place is the same as taking African americans rights away and considering them slaves again. No where in the constitution does it say the the people do not have the right to smoke but it does say we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If smoking makes someone happy then why take that away from them if it says we are granted that in the