In recent years, smoking in public has been in the news several times. Increases in taxation, bans for specific public spaces, and even legislation to put more strict rules and limits on tobacco companies, have all been recent pieces of discussion in the media within the five or so years. Airports and colleges have recently taken more steps to providing smoke free, and in some cases tobacco free, environments for non-smokers. Bars, restaurants, and office buildings were among the first to ban smoking and those bans are moving further into society by moving outdoors. Several cities and states have banned smoking in public spaces like city parks, public beaches, and other outdoor venues.

With the recent popularity of e-cigarettes also comes new skepticism and proposed restrictions. Many organizations have shown concern over the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, especially among teens and young adults, which increased the demand for restrictions on the availability and flavors of e-cigarettes. Since we discussed health stigmas of the 1950s I decided to research and look at a topic that has been controversial for decades and has only increased in recent years with the development of more ways to consume and use tobacco and tobacco products. Although secondhand smoke has been a concern for a very long time, with the new development of e-cigarettes, many people are concerned with the risks that are associated with them. Many advocates of e-cigarettes claim that there is no harmful vapor from the product and that only harmless water vapor is emitted. As of January 2, 2014, 108 municipalities recognize e-cigarettes as products that should be prohibited in smoke free environments.  Dr. Stanton Glantz, Director for the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, recently said that the emissions from e-cigarettes (Secondhand e-cigarette aerosol) can contain nicotine, ultrafine particles, and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer.

Governments of all sizes have taken concern for public smoking and bans. Local governments have taken action to restrict the allowance of smoking in public places, especially where children and large amounts of people gather. The national government hasn’t taken many measures to issue a law banning smoking, although many legislations have been introduced, none have taken national concern or been made into law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also been able to increase action within the Center for Tobacco Products concerning the use, advertisement, and distribution to young adults. A national campaign called The Truth Campaign, which has existed since around 1998, has taken to new advertisements devoted to portraying photographs of celebrities smoking as “unpaid tobacco spokespersons”. This bold form of social media advertisements serve as a way to empower teens to influence their peers not to smoke, not out of fear or shame, but with facts and education.  Even though smoking in teens is at a historical low, the truth campaign serves to eliminate teen smoking entirely. The Truth Campaign also aims to expose Big Tobacco’s manipulative ad tactics and propaganda.There has also been another piece of legislation gaining national attention to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after the year 2000. This ban has passed in several places and is gaining recognition in more and more places. The British Medical Association has recently voted to pass this ban everywhere, however unpopular or ineffective in may be in action. 

Links and Articles:
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 Smoking ban for people born after 2000
Recent U.S. rulings
E-cigarettes secondhand smoke
Secondhand Smoke Effects
Smoking Statistics in the U.S.