There is a famous quote on smoking that goes “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you have lost a very important part of your life.” This quote is humorous yet dark in context. In 2010 our state of South Dakota past a referendum smoking ban (also known as Referendum 12) to support the health of the citizens of our state. According to BallotPedia “The referred law broadens the State’s ban on smoking to apply to all restaurants, bars, package liquor stores, Deadwood casinos and video lottery establishments. It requires owners, managers, and operators of places where smoking is prohibited to inform violators of the smoking ban. The ban does not apply to tobacco shops, hotel rooms designated as smoking rooms, and existing cigar bars”(BallotPedia). Over the last 10 years the number of smokers in South Dakota have decreased
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I am standing with this change in our society because second hand smoke has serious health consequences, litter is ultimately reduced, and smoking bans reduce the cost of health care.
In the first place, the legal ban of smoking in public places is a more recent change than one would think. In fact, someone of any age could purchase tobacco in South Dakota up until the 90’s. The state has slowly progressed from making the legal age of purchasing lighting tobacco to 18, to banning it in some public forums such as schools and some restaurants, and now (since 2010) the ban of lighting tobacco spans from schools, restaurants, bars, casinos, workplaces, parks, and more. Smoking is a top priority issue in this country which led to the ban being held on a referendum. A referendum is a single political issue voted on by obtaining a certain amount of signatures.
I am standing with this change in our society because second hand smoke has serious health consequences, litter is ultimately reduced, and smoking bans reduce the cost of health care.
In the first place, the legal ban of smoking in public places is a more recent change than one would think. In fact, someone of any age could purchase tobacco in South Dakota up until the 90’s. The state has slowly progressed from making the legal age of purchasing lighting tobacco to 18, to banning it in some public forums such as schools and some restaurants, and now (since 2010) the ban of lighting tobacco spans from schools, restaurants, bars, casinos, workplaces, parks, and more. Smoking is a top priority issue in this country which led to the ban being held on a referendum. A referendum is a single political issue voted on by obtaining a certain amount of signatures.