Banning smoking in public places has been a long time in coming. Hopefully before long it will be a federal law as well. For now, non-smokers have to make do with the ton of different ordinances and laws on the city and state levels to ban smoking in public places. For the most part, the effects of banning smoking in public have been overwhelmingly positive.

Ask any smoker and the majority of them say that they don’t wish to inflict their smoking habit on anyone and therefore, will respect a smoking ban in public places. However, these same smokers say that they will continue to smoke in public until such time as lawmakers in their neck of the woods ban smoking in public areas.

Banning smoking in public all started with restaurants. At some point somewhere down the line, someone probably almost choked to death on food because their sneezing and coughing reflex kicked in because of cigarette smoke. In fact, this scenario is not fat off the mark. That is probably one of the first reasons why banning smoking in public restaurants got started. Never mind, that this carcinogenic smoke permeates the air and even people who sit in non-smoking sections still get exposed to it no matter what.

Another reason why banning smoking in public has come about is because many people in the hospitality industry probably got fed up with stinking like smoke and getting sick because of other people’s habits. A smoking public ban seemed to be the only recourse. Of course, because the tobacco industry is huge and generates a ton of money, it is no wonder that they were against banning smoking in public places.

However, with the huge outcry of non-smokers, the tobacco industry backed down a bit. And while they were not out and out supporting the movement to ban smoking in public places, they have not raised as big a stink about it as you might expect. And why don’t they? They have millions of smokers hooked already and thousands more still starting every day, despite the dangers.

The reasons to ban smoking in public places are many. However, it is because of the harmful health effects that banning smoking in public has been largely successful. Smoking is a choice. And when you make that choice, you are consciously subjecting yourself to cancer and a whole host of other maladies. However, there is no excuse in exposing others who choose not to smoke.

If you want to find out the facts on the public smoking ban, research your own city and state laws. Each place is different. Why ban smoking in public? The answer is that it is the right thing to do – period.