Smoking has become more and more controversial over the years. People are really starting to put their foot down on some of the issues that have surfaced in regards to smoking and the consequences of it. Some people would agree that second-hand smoke is equally as bad as actually being a smoker. The government is looking closer and closer at this issue and realizing just how serious of a health risk smoking is to the population at a whole and doing what is in their power to keep the non-smoking population free of illnesses caused by smoking or second-hand smoke. The two biggest smoke related illnesses are Lung Cancer and Emphysema.
In the headlines in the last few years, some may have seen that some businesses like restaurants are cracking down on not allowing their customers to smoke within their business. Some states as a whole have even developed a state wide policy on no smoking within a certain distance of the front door of businesses let alone inside of them. Some people would argue that smoking around children should be considered child abuse, because it is showing lack of judgement and irresponsiblity to the child.
Some smokers choose to smoke in their vehicles while driving down the road, and if you look carefully you will see that they do not have a window open. This will not only put the person smoking at further risk, but it will affect everyone in that vehicle. Some people who have studied the laws that are in place to protect children might be aware of the law called Wreckless Endangerment to a Minor and this could be a great place for the government to write this very serious issue into the law. You could even take this a step further and have it state that even first time offenses can be punishable not only by a serious fine, but jail time as well.
The current laws are really making it so that you can only smoke in your own house, in your own vehicle and outdoors and if it gets enough media attention, someone just may try to write it into the law that smoking in places where children are present, whether it be vehicles, public playgrounds, or any other place where children are present is an even greater risk to their health because their lungs are so much smaller than a grown adult, and that legal document goes to the White House for the President of the United States to review and consider both sides and then they get to make the final decision on whether or not it is valid and legitimate.