Why ban smoking in restaurants and other public places? Supporters of the proposed smoking ban in restaurants say the measure would protect the general public from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and would improve the overall health, as studies have shown that reducing exposure to smoke can cut the risk of heart attacks, reduce the rates of lung cancer, emphysema and cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization informed that smoking cigarettes killed 100 million people around the world in the previous century and cautioned that in the 21st century it could kill one billion people worldwide.

 

A report released last year by the American Cancer Society, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US national Cancer Institute and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries revealed that state tobacco control policies might have an influence on the number of cancer related deaths. For example, lung cancer incidence among women increased in 13 states which had one thing in common: tobacco taxes were lower than average.

 

A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that hospital admissions for heart attacks were drastically reduced in the city of Puelbo, Colorado, after the ban on workplace smoking took effect.

 

Earlier this year, Taiwan became the 17th state in the world and the second country in Asia to ban indoor smoking. Now, in Taiwan, smoking is banned in all other public facilities such as hotels, restaurants, karaoke bars, Internet cafes and transport stations.

 

Tobacco prevention and control continues to be a priority for states and antismoking laws are spreading around the world. As an example, one of the latest strategies of this kind in UK is a legislation that will ban the display of cigarette products from shops. The decision was taken after reports noted that in countries were the tobacco displays were removed, the smoking prevalence among young people has fallen by up to 10 percent.