Smoking is known globally to cause concern and discomfort to people of all ages in the vicinity of the smoker, especially that second-hand smoking can also cause a non-smoking individual the same health risk factors that a first-hand smoker can develop. Deaths from smoking are actually higher than deaths caused by HIV, drug and alcohol use, motor vehicular injuries and firearm-related incidents combined each year (CDC, 2021). Moreover, irresponsible disposal of cigarettes in public places carries a great risk for fire.
Enforcing a smoke-free zone policy in public areas like parks, markets and places of worship is proven to have decreased the frequency of secondhand smoke, with studies suggesting of considerable declines cotinine which indicates positive secondhand smoking (CDC, 2020). In addition, policies like this contribute to stoppage of smokers from using tobacco products. In particular, imposing smoke-free zones help reduce youth-smoking wherein it was found that young people in 2007 were 20% less likely to be smokers (Ansari, 2015).
In my hometown of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, I sometimes observe the use of smoking cigarettes in public areas like the park located just outside of the cathedral. Families go there to spend time together and thus endangering them to secondhand smoke whenever a smoker is in their vicinity. This suggests that there is still no smoke-free zone policy created or that it is poorly enforced. I think that it should be strictly followed so that secondhand smoking can be reduced.
References
Ansari, A. (2015, September 9). Smoke-free zones help reduce youth smoking, study finds. Retrieved from CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/09/health/smoke-free-zones-help-reduce-youth-smoking/index.html
CDC. (2020, August 4). Smoking Policies Reduce Secondhand Smoke Exposure. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/protection/shs_exposure/index.htm
CDC. (2021, October 29). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking . Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm