“…..Almost half of the adult population regularly performs a bizarre act that is neither necessary for the maintenance of life nor for the satisfaction of social, sexual, cultural, or spiritual needs; an act which is recognised, even by its adherents, as injurious to health and even unpleasant” (Aston and Stepney 1982: VII). Regarding the above statement, the vast majority of anti-smoking activists believe that restrictions on smoking in public places should be increased and that governments should take effective action to reduce tobacco consumption. Dependent smokers, on the other hand, consider the smoking ban to be an interference with their civil freedom. Even though they claim they have the right to smoke whenever and wherever they want; Governments consider the threats of second-hand smoke to be a top priority to address. This essay will discuss the policies adopted by governments to decrease or even stop smoking among the public. Furthermore, it will present smokers' arguments regarding their right to smoke in public places. Secondhand smoking, also known as passive smoking, is one of the main reasons for smoking restrictions in public places. It can be implicitly defined as inhaling someone else's smoke. It occurs when smoke wafts into the air, forcing people around to breathe it indirectly. The first global study on the effects of passive smoking was conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 across 192 countries. The study found that passive smoking kills around 600,000 people worldwide every year, of which over 34% are children, and reduces life expectancy by 10 years. The study concluded that secondhand smoke is responsible for most heart disease, asthma, and respiratory disease… middle of paper… makes it quite difficult for both sides to find a way out of this calamity. There are several ways out for both governments and smokers to quit smoking. Governments should try to develop new anti-smoking policies, and smokers should therefore try to help themselves give up this bad habit. Bibliography MARSH, A. and MCKAY, S. (1994) Poor Smokers. 1st. and. Great Britain: Bourne Press.ASHTON, H. and STEPNEY, R. (1982) Psychology and pharmacology of smoking. 1st. and. Great Britain: Cambridge University press.Smoking Act 2003: Chapter 206 [online] POST 1996Available at ; http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/pn206.pdf[Accessed 8 July 2011]Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11844169[Accessed 3 July 2011]Available from: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Smoking-The-Facts.htm[Accessed 4 July, 2011]