The separation of
space
for nonsmokers in public place
Today, the smoking becomes
a big social issue, but the situation isn’t getting better very much. The
other day, I saw that a station employee was picking up the cigarette butts that
were fallen on the railroad by using manipulator at JR Takarazuka station.
Maybe, the inconsiderate people must have thrown them away, and he troubled with
collecting them. How do you feel it? Don’t you think it is sad thing? In
this way, the smoking causes many problems, and we should protect nonsmokers
from them, but we can’t ignore the smokers. Then the separation of space
for nonsmokers should be carried out in public places to respect the rights of
smokers and nonsmokers, and to make a good environment. The separation of space
for nonsmokers means to divide the place into nonsmoking area and smoking area.
It aims at relieving of passive smokers and sympathizing for smokers. I think it
contributes greatly to deal with smoking problems, and I’ll show the
reasons and its specific idea below.
Recently, the anti-tobacco movement is
increasing, and the positions of smokers become weaker and weaker. It is often
said that smokers own the right to smoke, and everyone can’t violate it.
In fact, there is a smokers’ rights group: FORCES, and they claim it
strongly(“Frequently Asked Questions〔for FORCES?a smokers’ rights
group〕). Although it is true, they must not be mistaken about it, they
don’t possess the right to annoy nonsmokers and to harm the environment.
Certainly, people enjoy smoking as their lives’ delight in foreign
countries (Pollack, August 17 1997), and it helps them to relax, to soften the
stress, and to reduce the weight. However, they must observe the rules of
etiquette; to care about nonsmokers. In the same way, nonsmokers possess the
right to ask smokers not to smoke in front of them though they can’t force
them to quit smoking, and they also should think about smokers.
To defend
both rights of smokers and nonsmokers, we can divide the place into smoking area
and nonsmoking area. Smokers can smoke as much as they please there, and they
don’t have to put up with smoking. Nonsmokers need not worry about the
smoke and their health either. Most of them hate the smoke of tobacco, feel
uncomfortable, and care about their health. As a matter of fact, they are
damaged by second-hand smoke, and it causes coughing, headaches; increase the
risk of lung cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. Furthermore, it harms infants
and young children seriously (“Checkup…facts for your health THE
HAZARDS OF SMOKING”). However, they are not annoyed with them any longer
if the division places exist. Therefore, it is reasonable, and smokers and
nonsmokers will surely consent to this plan; besides thinking them each other
will create the harmony of them.
Next, separation of space will pay an
important part in making good surroundings. The smoking harm is not only its
smoke, but also cigarette butts. As I said a little while ago, many cigarette
butts are scattered in most of public places even though the ashtray is set
there. One survey actually shows that 65% of people feel unpleasant for smoking
and the rubbish (“Kokyo no basho ni okeru bunen no arikata kentokai
hokokusho”). However, they will disappear in case of the separation of
areas. That’s why smokers can smoke and dump tobacco only in limited
places (of course they must litter them to ashtrays), so this problem will be
gone from public places.
As a matter of fact, there is a good instance.
Kyoto-based Rohm Company carried out measures to reduce smoking; they located
smoking areas in one corner of each office, and they eliminated ashtrays from
desks (“Health worries prompt firms to boot ashtrays from offices”,
June 3 1999, P.3). I think this company’s office would be nice, because
the smoke, the cigarette butts, and the stink never exist. Also, there is no
worry about the cigarette ash. In such condition, workers can work comfortably,
and working efficiency may increase. In this way, division of places is done
completely, the environment will be better one.
However, above example is not
so common in our society. Indeed no smoking transportation such like airplanes
and bullet trains is increasing (Pollack, August 17 1997), but they remain rare.
In fact, the restriction of smoking is carried out in other places, yet most of
them are not perfect. Nonsmoking seats are set up in restaurants, and smoking
areas are placed at stations, companies, and department stores, but there is
nothing to shut out the smoke of tobacco like a curtain, so nonsmokers breathe
in the smoke unwillingly. When I went to McDonald with my friends, we smelled of
tobacco even though we sat on nonsmoking seats. It was because nothing to
obstruct the smoke existed, and it came to the nonsmoking area, so I
couldn’t eat hamburger tastily. It is no use, because the separation of
space for nonsmokers means that nonsmokers don’t have to worry about the
smoke and they spend their times comfortably.
To solve this problem, we
should build smoking rooms, not areas. Smokers can smoke there, and needless to
say, it is smoke free except it. Smoking rooms must not let the smoke go
outside, and the air purifiers must be fixed there. We should place them such
like telephone booths, and we take care about where we should set them. For
instance, in restaurant, they should be placed next to toilet, and all seats are
non-smoking areas. Also, some experts say that the cost of building the smoking
rooms must be paid by tax of tobacco or Japan Tobacco Inc. (“Kokyo no
basho ni okeru bunen no arikata kentokai hokokusho”). In addition, we can
restrict the smoking by law. Some foreign countries, for example, the United
States of America, Canada, Germany etc, the regulative measures of smoking in
public places are carried out by law. In France, Italy, and Thailand, they
impose a fine on smoking at nonsmoking areas (“Kokyo no basho ni okeru
bunen no arikata kentokai hokokusho”). Nevertheless, Japan takes only
voluntary restraint. We should carry forward the nonsmoking measures by law at
the place like health and medical centers, government and municipal offices etc,
because of their property and their social missions. Now, only two ministries
and on agency-the Ministry of posts and Telecommunications, and Ministry of
International Trade and Industry and the Science and Technology Agency-take
measures to ban smoking in their buildings (“Health worries prompt firms
too boot ashtrays from offices”, June 3 1999, P.3), yet I think all
Ministry should carry out such like thing. In this way, we can deal with the
smoking.
So as you can see, Japan should carry out the separation of space
for nonsmokers in public places, because of supporting the rights of smokers and
nonsmokers, and creating a nice surrounding. That is, smoking rooms that have
air purifiers should be built like telephone booths by tax of tobacco or Japan
Tobacco Inc., and the law of smoking free should be practiced in official places
by thinking their responsibilities. If it is carried out perfectly, the smokers
and nonsmokers will be able to get along with each other, and other problem such
like rubbish will be gone. The slogan of WHO about smoking in this year is
“Tobacco kills. Don’t be duped.” It means that the situation
is more serious than that you think. We must consider about it and deal with it
NOW.
References
Checkup…facts for your health THE
HAZARDS OF SMOKING. Retrieved June 27, 2000 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.lrgh.org/facts/smoking.htm
Frequently Asked Questions (for
FORCES?a smokers’ rights group). Retrieved May 15, 2000 from the World
Wide Web: http://forces.com/faq.htm
Health worries prompt firms to boot
ashtrays from offices. (1999, June 3). The Japan Times, 3.
Kokyo no basho
ni okeru bunen no arikata kentokai hokokusho [ translation: the report of
what the separation of space and times for nonsmokers in public places
should be]. (1996, March). Retrieved June 2, 2000 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.health-net.or.jp/
Pollack, A. (1997, August 17). Overseas,
Smoking Is One of Life’s Small Pleasures. The New York
Times.
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