TOEFL Sample essay 3

Should smoking in public places be banned?

Smoking is nothing short of a social evil. Its ill effects aren’t just confined to the smoker. Even if you don’t smoke, you become a passive smoker when other people in the same premise smoke. And passive smokers experience as much health consequences as real smokers do. Smoking has been banned from many public places like offices, theatres, hospitals, educational institutions, banks, restaurants and conference rooms. In my opinion it has to be banned from all public places. A ban on public smoking will be beneficial to everybody because of the following reasons.

People will live longer. A cigarette smoked will reduce a person’s life span by 5 ½ minutes. And smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day will cut down a smoker’s life by one-third. It will also considerably increase his/her changes of getting lung-cancer. In general, people’s health will improve significantly if smoking is banned from public places.

Smoking is more or less a macho symbol for the teens and the youth who regularly see their elders or roles models like film stars smoking in public. In their quest to imitate their stars they too will start smoking. So a ban on public smoking will lead to a gradual reduction in the incidences of smoking among the younger generation. In my opinion just imposing a ban on public smoking isn’t sufficient. Heavy fines should be imposed on those who violate this norm.

Time and again public smoking has proved hazardous. A lighted cigarette stub or match stick thrown around carelessly can lead to serious fire and loss of life and property. If thrown accidentally into or near an electric installation, it may cause short circuiting and this is more than enough to lead to a major fire in a high rise building. If smoking in public places is banned, such incidences will be minimized, if not fully prevented.

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