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By Sharon Cap, July 5th 2008
Avoiding Second Hand Smoking Lawsuits and Smoking Bans
There are a lot of risks associated with smoking. Not only do smokers take a gamble with their own long-term health, but they also have to worry about the health of others. Although no one wants to think about an additional danger, smoking carries with it the possibility of lawsuits over second hand smoke. Modern society is very aware of the danger posed by its actions (or inaction), and this is often portrayed through smoking bans or lawsuits. Lawsuits allow people to seek retribution for events, however minor, that they would otherwise have to accept. Recently, this has come to mean that people can sue for unavoidable, long-term exposure to second hand cigarette smoke.
The Real History of Smoking Lawsuits
The first second hand smoking lawsuits were filed by flight attendants against airlines such as Northwest. There was a time when smoking was permitted on any flight, domestic or abroad, but now you will have trouble finding any airline that offers this option even for first class patrons. For years after smoking was outlawed on domestic flights, it was still allowed on long flights. Several flight attendants sued successfully for resulting health problems. Second hand smoking lawsuits are common among almost all sectors of the professional world. Employers must worry about the possibility of being sued by any non-smoking worker, customer, or client. Even air filter manufactures can be faulted if a ventilation system fails. Several lawsuits by current or previous prison inmates have complained about inadequate ventilation in their living areas. The fact is that it is relatively simple to file a second hand smoking lawsuit; one only needs to prove that tobacco cigarette smoke has been a consistent nuisance and that the person has asked previously requested something be done. If you can imagine all of the possible professional situations that could potentially lead to a lawsuit, smoking bans begin to make even more sense.
Lawsuits Directed at You
Of course, it is not only companies and professionals that have to worry about second hand smoking lawsuits. Recently, it has become more accepted to sue private citizens for smoking in their own home. A Florida couple sued the smoker downstairs as a response to the smoke that drifted up through the ventilation system. When they contacted the building manager, it was determined that the ventilation in place was sufficient, so the couple could legally sue for the repeated nuisance. Since this sort of situation is largely an issue in apartment buildings, landlords around the nation have cut down on the number of properties that allow smoking in order to protect themselves. While smokers are used to regarding their own homes and cars as some of the last places to smoke freely, this is simply no longer the case, especially if they live in close proximity to others. In several states, it is illegal to smoke in the car if children are present, and this trend only appears to be strengthening. Quite simply, it gets harder to be a smoker everyday, regardless of second hand smoking lawsuits.
Finding an Alternative to Avoid Smoking Bans
Lawsuits combined with the hassle of the interruption any time you need to have a cigarette in public, it is easy to see why alternative smoking devices and other forms of tobacco are becoming more popular. Not all such alternatives are created equal, however; in fact, some are far safer and less obnoxious than others. While chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobaccos require unattractive spitting and increase the risk of developing cancers of the mouth and throat, and nicotine gum can taste odd, Fifty-One™ electronic cigarette, allows you to enjoy the sensation of smoking without the first or second hand smoke. Electronic cigarettes consist of a battery, an atomizer, and a nicotine cartridge that, when combined, resemble a cigarette or cigar. When you inhale on the end of the nicotine cartridge, the battery lights an orange LED at the tip, assisting the release of smoking vapor.
Though smoking this vapor feels very much like a cigarette, the vapor mixture contains only three ingredients: water vapor, propylene glycol (used in food coloring), and nicotine. Studies have shown that, while nicotine causes most of the physical and psychological effects of smoking, including addiction, the hundreds of other chemicals and carcinogens in tobacco actually do the most damage to a person's health. Fifty-One™ electronic cigarette allows you to get the nicotine you want, delivered in a familiar form, without dramatically increasing your risk of smoke-related diseases or cancers. As electronic cigarettes have no actual flame and produce no actual smoke, they are virtually harmless to those around you. In fact, most of the nicotine in the smoking vapor is absorbed by the lungs before being exhaled, so others may not even breathe in any of it.
The English parliament has already ruled electronic cigarettes are legal in places that tobacco cigarettes are not, and in general, anyone who understands the choice you have made should not have a problem with you using Fifty-One™ wherever you like. With electronic cigarettes, you should be able to smoke anywhere, including offices and restaurants where smoking bans are in place, and you can certainly rest easy about your likelihood of being sued for second hand smoke. Fifty-One™ produces no first or second hand smoke, and its vapor is odorless in addition to being safe. Even if you have no desire to avoid potential lawsuits, there are many other reasons to switch to Fifty-One™. Electronic cigarettes create no second hand smoke and are perhaps the safest tobacco alternative currently available. They are also cheaper per nicotine cartridge than a pack of cigarettes. Chances are that, like most smokers, you are concerned about the potential of being sued for second hand smoke, if not the very real danger that cigarette smoke poses to those around you. Electronic cigarettes also offer a break for employers who want to strike a balance between federal smoking policies and a workforce made up largely of smokers. No matter where you want to smoke, Fifty-One™ provides you the opportunity to do just that, without the threat of second hand smoking lawsuits.
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