New York Smoking Ban

All eyes are currently set on the city which never sleeps. New York has now introduced a free tobacco zone outside in popular tourist attractions such as Times Square, outdoor pubs and restaurants and park benches. With this having a mighty global interest, has the smoking ban gone too far?


As a non-smoker myself, I do feel that this legislation ban for smokers not to have the choice to smoke in open area's outside is abit extreme.  I am fully aware of the statistics and health risks of passive smoking, but how hard is it to cross the road so that you're away from the smoke? I thought the smoking ban which was set in place five years ago was necessary, for the benefits of others and the potential plan to decrease the amount of cigarettes which were being smoked.  


Yet, I cannot feel strongly enough on the fact that nobody owns the space around you and I'm sure a smoker would respect someones decision if they got asked to move along or smoke in the opposite direction, rather than a ban which is targeting against them and not allowing their chance to voice their opinion.


Michael Siegel from BBC News said: "the ban is pointless from a public health perspective and could, in fact, increase the risk of passive smoking by creating "smoke-filled areas" near park entrances for example."


According to statistics, since the ban in July 2005, more than two billion cigarettes haven't been smoked and 400,000 people have quit.


So will this work? Will Britain follow the steps of their fellow American friends?