(no subject)
What Was
Tobacco was introduced to society thousands of years ago, where it was used for religious ceremonial rituals as well as a source of medicine. This practice eventually spread to Europe; people then began to smoke, chew, and snuff tobacco. North America adopted this practice and began its tobacco industry in 1612. From then on tobacco became a widespread lucrative industry. (15)
Although tobacco was adopted by millions of people as a stress reliever, all it created was more anxiety. In 1964, Luther L. Terry made a Surgeon General announcement stating smoking was linked to lung cancer and heart disease (16). It was not until years later that reports came out that secondhand smoke was considered a health threat. Once the news had been out that secondhand smoke posed a health problem, many local governments took into effect a ban which would abolish smoking in public places. The first federal restriction on smoking in public places was on all airlines. The Civil Aeronautics Board forced all airlines to create a smoking section in 1973. The same year, Arizona became the first state to restrict smoking in certain public places like elevators, libraries, indoor theaters, concert halls, and buses. From then on, Arizona posed as a model for other states. Only two years later, Minnesota followed in Arizona’s footsteps creating the Clean Indoor Air Act. It was the Nation’s first state-wide anti-secondhand smoke law that required separation of smokers and nonsmokers. (16)
Six years after Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act in 1981, a Japanese study showed the facts about secondhand smoke, and the health effects it posed for nonsmokers. Takeshi Hirayama formed the study over a period of fourteen years and found that women who lived with a smoker who smoked up to fourteen cigarettes a day, was 40% more likely to develop lung cancer, as opposed to someone who lived with a nonsmoker. This brought about much controversy over a smoker’s free will, and a nonsmoker’s health (16). A year after the reports from this study came out Surgeon General Koop reported secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer. San Francisco then took action in 1983 and banned smoking in private working facilities. This was the first strong smoking restriction in private workplaces that California had passed. Reports released in 1986 came from the National Academy of Sciences as well as the U.S. surgeon general stating, “Chemical analysis shows [secondhand] smoke to be richer in known carcinogens than the smoke actually inhaled by smokers themselves” (Goodin 11).
After all of the reports and surgeon general statements a poll was conducted in 1987 which showed that 44% of the people who had previously smoked quit. During this year, Congress also passed a law banning smoking on all domestic flights of less than two hours. Throughout this time people were becoming more aware of the health effects which smoking and secondhand smoke caused; therefore, California became the first state to ban smoking in restaurants. A year later, Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act passed which required all restaurants with seventy-five or more seats to provide a nonsmoking section (16).
Throughout history, tobacco has effected lives everywhere. Although it was initially produced for medical reasons, tobacco is now only becoming a medical concern for both smokers and nonsmokers. From the first ban created on smoking in public places, there is no doubt that secondhand smoke does effect nonsmokers.
Tobacco was introduced to society thousands of years ago, where it was used for religious ceremonial rituals as well as a source of medicine. This practice eventually spread to Europe; people then began to smoke, chew, and snuff tobacco. North America adopted this practice and began its tobacco industry in 1612. From then on tobacco became a widespread lucrative industry. (15)
Although tobacco was adopted by millions of people as a stress reliever, all it created was more anxiety. In 1964, Luther L. Terry made a Surgeon General announcement stating smoking was linked to lung cancer and heart disease (16). It was not until years later that reports came out that secondhand smoke was considered a health threat. Once the news had been out that secondhand smoke posed a health problem, many local governments took into effect a ban which would abolish smoking in public places. The first federal restriction on smoking in public places was on all airlines. The Civil Aeronautics Board forced all airlines to create a smoking section in 1973. The same year, Arizona became the first state to restrict smoking in certain public places like elevators, libraries, indoor theaters, concert halls, and buses. From then on, Arizona posed as a model for other states. Only two years later, Minnesota followed in Arizona’s footsteps creating the Clean Indoor Air Act. It was the Nation’s first state-wide anti-secondhand smoke law that required separation of smokers and nonsmokers. (16)
Six years after Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act in 1981, a Japanese study showed the facts about secondhand smoke, and the health effects it posed for nonsmokers. Takeshi Hirayama formed the study over a period of fourteen years and found that women who lived with a smoker who smoked up to fourteen cigarettes a day, was 40% more likely to develop lung cancer, as opposed to someone who lived with a nonsmoker. This brought about much controversy over a smoker’s free will, and a nonsmoker’s health (16). A year after the reports from this study came out Surgeon General Koop reported secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer. San Francisco then took action in 1983 and banned smoking in private working facilities. This was the first strong smoking restriction in private workplaces that California had passed. Reports released in 1986 came from the National Academy of Sciences as well as the U.S. surgeon general stating, “Chemical analysis shows [secondhand] smoke to be richer in known carcinogens than the smoke actually inhaled by smokers themselves” (Goodin 11).
After all of the reports and surgeon general statements a poll was conducted in 1987 which showed that 44% of the people who had previously smoked quit. During this year, Congress also passed a law banning smoking on all domestic flights of less than two hours. Throughout this time people were becoming more aware of the health effects which smoking and secondhand smoke caused; therefore, California became the first state to ban smoking in restaurants. A year later, Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act passed which required all restaurants with seventy-five or more seats to provide a nonsmoking section (16).
Throughout history, tobacco has effected lives everywhere. Although it was initially produced for medical reasons, tobacco is now only becoming a medical concern for both smokers and nonsmokers. From the first ban created on smoking in public places, there is no doubt that secondhand smoke does effect nonsmokers.