Attitudes to smoking changed since the smoking ban Essay

Attitudes to smoking changed since the smoking ban - Essay Example Research also shows that non-smokers that have partners who smoke in the home have a 20-30% chance of contracting lung cancer than non-smokers with non-smoking partners (BRANNON and FEIST, 2010). In addition, non-smokers who are exposed to tobacco smoke in work places have an increased 16-19% chance of contracting lung cancer (ANGER, KVASNICKA and SIEDLER, 2010). A study conducted by World Health Organization in 2002 suggests that second-hand smokers are exposed to the same amount of carcinogens as first-hand smokers. Second-hand smoke is known to contain 69 carcinogens, especially benzopyrene, and also radioactive decay, such as Polonium 210 (WAND, 2012). Moreover, studies conducted by well-known tobacco companies themselves show that many carcinogens are present at a higher concentration in second-hand smoke than in first-hand smoke. The reason why I chose this topic is that smoking has become very common; this is not to disregard the fact that I smoke also. I remember being staunc hly against smoking, but a year ago my friends convinced me to try it out. The ‘trying’ continued for a period until I realized that I was addicted to cigarette smoking. I tried dropping the habit, but it was too difficult a task for me, and I am continuing to struggle with this habit. This led me to put deep thought and research into what really prompts a person to start smoking, besides my story, what has been done to contain and eventually stop smoking, and what changes, if any, have been observed after the smoking bans have been imposed. As a result I narrowed down my study to researching the changes in attitudes and behavior of the people following smoking bans. The rationale for banning smoking, whether completely or partially at public places, is that smoking is optional while breathing is not. Therefore, patrons of smoking bans say that smoking bans are imposed to shield breathing people from the harms of second-hand smoke, than include heart diseases, lung dise ases, cancer and other ailments (PACIFIC TOBACCO CONTROL INTERIM GROUP, 2004). Laws prohibiting tobacco use in homes have been introduced and implemented by many nations, with Australia and Bhutan being the staunchest proponents, in different forms over the years. Law enforcers cite scientific evidence suggesting that second-hand smoke is as harmful to active-smokers (GOEL and NELSON, 2008). Furthermore, studies also show that smoke bans tend to reduce health care costs, improve work productivity, lowering the cost of labor in the community. In the state of Indiana in U.S.A, the agency of economic development planned in 2006 on including complete smoke bans in homes and in workplaces for making the workplaces and environment more attractive for local and foreign workers as a way for boosting economic development (INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE CA?NCER (BRAZIL), & PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 2010). The Pan American Health Organization has stated that the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil wi ll be a tobacco-free tournament. This has come at a time when famous athletes were caught using tobacco which sent out a bad image of the sport to its fans and also encouraged them to adopt the habit. This is being done in collaboration with the government of Brazil, which cites that this ban would ensure a healthy environment for athletes,

Organizational Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Ethics - Research Paper Example The argument is based on the idea that some auto insurance companies refuse to pay for the vehicle damages by looking for loopholes that would invalidate the cover the customers insured their vehicles against. ISAA is one of the leading auto insurance companies in the United States (ISAA, 2014). The organization has been able to develop and maintain competitive advantage on the grounds that it has developed mechanisms of adhering to its ethical codes for a long time. This has made customers develop trust in its operations. External social pressure has been found to play a critical role in shaping the ethical conduct of many organizations (Ferrell, 2012). For instance, ISAA has been on the lookout not to mess up with the social issues affecting its customers and the public in general. Societal expectations on the way organizations conduct their businesses have been under scrutiny in the last few decades because of the increase in the social responsibility concepts that members of the society expect from every organization. In fact, organizations that practice little or no social responsibility has been eliminated in the markets and replaced by those organizations that prioritize on the same. In regard to ISAA, the organization has developed a social ethics guide to ensure that it complies with the societal expectations. For instance, ISAA has devised a program for environmental sustainability (ISAA, 2014). This makes people to have good relationship with the organization. Ferrell, J. (2012) argued that such a move puts organizations ahead as far as competition is concerned. Employees are considered as the primary assets of any organization. For the organization to thrive in a highly competitive market, it is indispensable to have workforce that have good code of conduct. This is important because their services especially when conducting business with customers greatly determine the kind of picture that they paste on the