Please correct my essay for grammar and punctuation.
Smoking in public
Seeing people smoke is disgusting. It is common to
drive by any place of business and see the employees enjoying a cigarette. To non-smokers
this is a slight victory after years of trying; organizations such as the
American Cancer Society have finally made an impact of how harmful second hand
smoke can be. Although smoking is a right and the frustrations that a smoker
feels, as if the whole world may be against them. Smoking pollutes the air
everyone breaths and second hand smoke is more harmful than actually smoking. Possibly
if smoking were banned more people would be prompted to quit and make for a
healthier society. Smoking should have a ban in public places. There are
lasting positive advantages by prohibiting smoking in public places along with
the inconvenience to non-smokers exposed to the dangers and risks of their own
health.
Walking
through the park or just down the storefronts of a shopping center one will not
take a step without seeing a discarded cigarette butt. If more laws banned
smoking in public places this disgusting sight would almost disappear. A key
place to start the banning of smoking in public places would be at restaurants.
Several states have made this ban but it is still not nationwide. It is always
amusing to try to understand why the host of a restaurant bothered to ask the
preference between smoking and non-smoking when the only visible difference was
the sign next to the table. Nothing keeps that smoke from drifting throughout
the restaurant. The last thing most patrons want is to taste someone else's
exhaled cigarette smoke with dinner. Studies from the American Cancer Society
show that exposure to second hand smoke has serious side effects such as low
birth rates for pregnant women to 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking
adults. "Everyone can be exposed to secondhand
smoke in public places, such as restaurants, shopping centers, public
transportation, schools, and daycare centers. Although some businesses are
reluctant to ban smoking, there is no credible evidence that going smoke-free
is bad for business." (ACS 2008)
A more important advantage to banning smoking in
public is maybe that it would be the last straw that will make smokers finally
quit. This will promote a healthier society, save that smoker money they would spend on cigarettes, and reduce doctor's
visits and medications. The savings would not only be for themselves but for
their family members as well. It is a common story to hear about someone's
parents who were avid smokers while they grew up, and linking their health
problems to the parents smoking. These types of things just add the expenses of
smoking. It sometimes takes the birth of a child or the early signs of lung
disease to convince most smokers to quit. Most smokers will explain that it is
not as easy as putting the cigarette down and quitting. Putting a ban in more
places and making it more inconvenient may push more smokers to go through the
trouble of quitting.
These advantages are worth making the changes. The
environment has enough contenders with global warming and other pollution that
nothing else needs to be added to the mix. Our children face many other
challenges including other drugs besides cigarettes. Adults need to be role
models and not casually ignore so many warnings of how dangerous smoking can be
for them. Although there is a need for moderation, the banning of smoking in
bars would only bring the argument of the dangers of alcohol abuse and that is
not the argument here. However, subjecting parks and family oriented
establishments to such a devastating pastime is important.