Public smokingmust be banned

On February 21, the Daily Monitor published an article titled ‘Public smoking ban reduces premature deaths.’ This article was about Belgium banning public smoking. However, this is not the first European country to ban public smoking as it will be joining its neighbours, France, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. I think Uganda should borrow a leaf from these countries. Smoking in public inconveniences non-smokers who inhale the smoke making then susceptible to the dangers of smoking. Recently, I was in the city centre with my sister and her one-year-old baby when three men passed by us while smoking. The smoke they emitted was so much that it chocked us.

There are many dangers caused by inhaling secondhand smoke which is known as passive smoking. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, children are more susceptible to the effects of passive smoking than adults. Passive smoking increases the number and severity of asthma attacks in more than 200,000 children every year.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows that smoking and exposure to tobacco can reduce birth weight and increase the risk of premature births. With all these dangers, it is therefore right to ban public smoking to save innocent citizens.

Hope Abonit,
bonitahopes24@gmail.com