You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:
Many office authorities impose a restriction on smoking within the office premises. Some governments have even banned smoking in all public places. This is a good idea but it takes away some of our freedom.
What are your opinions on this?
Use your own knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model Answer 1:
(Agreement: Smoking should be banned in office premises and public places)
There is no scope of argument that cigarette smoking is harmful both for the smoker and people around him/her. Cigarette smoking has two major effects on non-smokers-injurious passive smoking and smoking display that has an invitational or persuasive effect on non-smokers. I believe banning smoking in public places and offices not only will discourage smoking but will also keep the smoking practice out of site, though it might apparently look like transgress into smoker’s freedom. But I believe any harmful activity of a particular person or group of people can not be a definition of freedom. If smoking right in any place is a definition of freedom then why not other drugs? In m opinion, every public place including office must be smoking free.
There are several reasons that government and private authorities are being strict on smoking in offices and even public places. Firstly, this is an accepted fact that smoking is injurious and deadly to health in several ways. Secondly, smoking causes health hazards to non-smokers who inhale smoke passively from the smokers. Thirdly, smoking has a strong psychologically influence on others, particularly on children and young who learns from their elderly. Fourthly, in many countries, the cost of health care and insurance has gone up due to smoking related illnesses. So health authorities and governments are trying to have been seen that due to the restrictions, the habit of smoking is on a decline among office goers.
Though non-smokers think that restricting smoking in offices and public places is a good idea, smokers often view it as an intervention into their right. Smokers argue that cigarette smoking has a direct relation to their workplace performance, though passive smoking can cause objections from colleagues. But considering the harm of smoking it should be banned.
Though pressure groups such as tobacco companies may discourage restrictions on smoking, since the advantages of ban outweigh the disadvantages, mass public support such bans. Moreover, offices have the right to regulate staff behaviour and activities and governments too can ban smoking in public places for a greater societal benefit.
In conclusion, restricting smoking in workplaces and in public is a good idea. I can also understand the opinion of smokers that banning smoking in such places limits their work speed but I believe with little practice and determination they can overcome it. So I strongly support the idea of prohibiting smoking in any public place including the office premises.
(Approximately 404 words)
(This model answer has been prepared by the site developer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible answers.)
N.B: You should be able to pick up different points from this essay and organise your answer in your own style.
Model Answer 2:
(Disagreement: Smoking should NOT be banned in office premises and public places)
First of all, if a government only bans the smoking in public places and allows the production, marketing and selling of cigarettes in the country that point out a question if the government at all wants to ban the cigarettes. Why would not a government restrict the selling of cigars but would only refrain the smokers from having it? Rather government should ban this vile product in the whole country so that people no longer have the option to smoke. A smoker would naturally smoke as s/he gets addicted to the nicotine of a cigarette. Allowing them to purchase it and then not to smoke it is kind of ridiculous idea.
Secondly, many offices restrict smoking in office premises and this is also a controversial idea. Why hire smokers when you have such a strict restriction on smoking? Rather those offices should update their hiring policy and should not hire smokers as many educational and religious organisations do. Smoking in no way acceptable but restricting this only in office premises is in a way allowing the employees to go outside and harm some other people rather than the office staffs. Instead of this, the offices can either arrange a separate smoking zone with proper ventilation facility or allow the smokers to smoke there or should hire non-smokers.
In conclusion, the cigarettes should be restricted in the production and sales level but not in the way of stealing peoples’ freedom by restricting them in particular places while letting them easily purchase them. Where is the good will when a government freely allows the product, distribution and selling of tobacco and collects taxes from the tobacco companies and at the same time restrict smoking to show that they are doing well for people?
(This model answer has been prepared by the site developer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible answers.)
Model Answer 3:
Use of tobacco products has become popular after the industrial revolution. Cigarettes are so cheaply available that people do not bother to think about it before lighting one in every minute. Society is engaged in very long debate, whether smoking should be banned completely in public places or not. Some argue that it would encroachment to one’s freedom, while others support this idea. I think smokers should be allowed to smoke only in designated areas away from the public.
According to world health organisation, smoking is biggest cause of oral and lung cancer. Even second-hand smokers, people who inhale smoke releases by smokers, are equally prone to the disease. Therefore, looking at this risk, smokers and non-smokers should be segregated. In countries like the United States of America, designated smoking areas are built and smoking in public places is banned and fines are imposed if anyone is found using cigarettes in public place.
While it may be easy to argue that banning smoking is intruding to one’s freedom. But forcing one’s smoke to other non-smokers is even a bigger crime. Advocates, who fight for the ban of smoking, ask that why should an innocent bystander suffer from the smoke released by smokers? Therefore, it can easily be concluded that banning smoking is public place is not attached to freedom; it is rather imposing the right of freedom.
With above points, in conclusion, it can be concluded that with alternative options for smoking location made available, smoking can be banned at all public location without creating any controversy.
( Written by Ramanuj )
Model Answer 4:
‘Smoking is injurious to health’ is a widely known advice, written on all the cigarettes packets to continuously remind the smoker of the ill-effects of smoking on health. Considering the health of smokers, governments and organisations are taking steps to limit people from smoking inside office premises. In my opinion, this is a good move by the authorities; however, some people argue that such initiatives will curb our freedom.
Although our constitution allows one to do whatever one wants to do but if any of his action involves impacting the health of others, then such rights need to be limited. Medical science has proved that Smoking not only impact the well-being of the person who is actively involved in smoking but also of the person, passively inhaling the smoke.
Despite the impact of smoking on the health of other people, some people think that prohibiting one from smoking in the place of his choice, governments and organisation are curbing freedom of the people. This may sound true if thought in terms of the right to freedom but if one morally considers the bad effect of smoking on the other people who do not even touch cigarettes, this no more feels apt to exercise such rights. One must exercise his rights as long as it does not impact others.
To summarise, smoking not only affects the health of active smoker but also degrades the immunity of passive smoker. Therefore one must not smoke in places with public. We must exercise our right for only for the benefit of us as a whole. Further, the move for restricting smoking in public places should not be seen from the perspective of curbing freedom but must be supported for everybody’s good.
( Written by – Riya Nagpal )
Model Answer 5:
It is a fact that a lot of commercial offices have set strict regulations regarding to smoking within the buildings. And even in some countries, governments have restricted their residents from smoking in public areas. Some people think that the regulation is a positive thing, but others feel that it has taken away some of the human’s right.
To begin with, it is true that restricting people from smoking in public places is an unfavourable regulation for smokers. In the perspective of smokers, the regulation has taken away some of their rights, whereas everyone has the right to do anything that individual prefer to do, and one of them is to smoke in public areas. They believe that cigarette would only be harmful to the smoker, and it would not have any negative effect to others.
On the other hand, it is common that most office buildings are prohibiting their people from smoking inside the buildings. And many government authorities have been banning their citizens from smoking in public areas. These strict regulations have been set based on several reasons. Firstly, it is a fact that smoking causes a serious or fatal threat to the smokers themselves. There have been cases, where active smokers have a heart attack or lung cancer due to smoking. Secondly, it is also proven that the smoke is also dangerous for the passive smokers. It has been reported that some women have had problems with their pregnancy due to inhaling the smoke.
In conclusion, although it might seem to be unfair for the active smoker, but setting restriction on smoking in public and commercial areas is something positive. Smoking is not only threatening for the smokers, but it could also give a negative impact to the passive smokers as well.
( Written by – Darwin Lesmana )
Model Answer 6:
There are numerous reasons why smoking should be restricted in the offices and in similar places where people meet or work together. To begin with, many non-smokers work in an office or gather in a train station, so the smoke of cigarette is pernicious and irritating for them. Besides, if the smoking is allowed inside the office or in public places like an auditorium, then the passive smokers will suffer from same ailments, as smokers will. Finally, an office is a hub of many professionals and allowing smokers to smoke freely would be the violation of non-smokers’ freedom in one hand and unprofessional in another hand. To continue it, employees spend most of their time in their workplaces and if smoking is banned there, then willingly and unwillingly many of them will stop smoking. In a long run, it is going to give them the benefit, as they will understand that it is not such a hard nut to crack for them to quit smoking. In addition, it will also save the time which is spent for smoking by the employees; instead, they will devote that time doing the office work. The same argument is valid for banning the smoking in the public places as well. Ultimately the banning should be implemented to save the non-smokers, smokers and the environment.
However, another aspect of this statement also deserves the attention. To start with, as the people who are in the habit of smoking feels disturbed and interrupted on banning the smoking in the offices and other public places. They feel that it affects their performance and thus they have the right to smoke as capable adults. I would like to opine that, the banning should not be implemented all of a sudden and the smokers should be given the chance to quit smoking before banning it in offices and in public places.
In conclusion, not a single positive aspect of smoking is proven so far while there are hundreds of detrimental effects are already scientifically proven. Thus banning something in public places which will bring benefits should be cordially welcomed.
( by – Arora)