Non Fumare January 11, 2005 Overview A strict law banning smoking in bars, restaurants, offices and other public spaces came into effect yesterday in Italy.
Objective Students will examine smoking-related health problems in the United States. They will then investigate and evaluate their local and state laws regarding smoking in public spaces.
Procedure Inform students that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) : "Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related." Encourage students to work in small groups to learn more about what health experts believe are the links between smoking and diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness. Refer them to the Web sites below and to other resources to collect data on how smoking can affect the health of those who smoke as well as those who breathe the smoke second-hand. After students share their findings, discuss the country-wide ban on smoking in Italy. Then, have students hypothesize what the reaction might be to a similar ban in the United States. Pose the following questions to help guide a class discussion: - Which groups of people would be affected, either negatively or positively, by a ban on smoking in public spaces in the U.S.?
- One Italian cabinet minister interviewed for this story claimed that smoking is his "sacred right." Do you think that smoking is an issue of individual or civil rights? Explain.
- Which level of government, if any, do you think should legislate smoking in public places in the United States--local, state or federal? Explain. How might smoking legislation compare with the laws regulating other public health issues such as food safety, obesity or alcohol consumption?
- What do you think are some of the potential social, political, economic or health ramifications for a smoking ban in public spaces?
- What do you think are some of the arguments for and against a smoking ban in public spaces, either nationwide or in your city?
Encourage students to contact people such as local and state officials, public health experts, office workers and restaurant owners to learn more about smoking legislation in their city or state. After they report their findings to the class, have students discuss some of the factors that might have influenced the current smoking laws. Then, challenge students to write letters to local officials that argue either for or against the current laws regulating smoking in public spaces in their community.
Correlated Standards McREL: Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014 Civics Standard 3. Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rule of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good Standard 17. Understands issues concerning the relationship between state and local governments and the national government and issues pertaining to representation at all three levels of government Standard 25. Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights Health Standard 2. Knows environmental and external factors that affect individual and community health
Suggested Online Resources CNN.com: Bars balk at Italy smoking ban (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/01/10/italy.smoking.ban.reut/index.html) CNN.com: Health Library (http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/) CDC: Cigarette Smoking-Related Mortality (http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/health_consequences/mortali.htm) BBC: Smoking curbs: The global picture (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4016447.stm) American Lung Association: Smoking Policies in the Workplace Fact Sheet (http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36000
Keywords gasper, ban, proprietors
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