On average, 26% of Americans smoke, leaving behind restaurants, bars and many other places covered in a thick layer of smoke full of deadly toxins and agents carcinogenic for the remaining 73%. Americans to breathe. Cigarette smoke, regardless of the level of exposure, can have deadly consequences, but it is permitted almost everywhere, including in parks and restaurants frequented by innocent children. Cigarette smoke and its toxins seep into carpets, furniture and even leave white walls stained with tar. These toxins left behind by cigarette smoke linger long after the smoke has cleared. Cigarette butts are strewn on almost every street and ashtrays are usually full and overflowing. Every year, smokers are responsible for fires that burn hundreds of acres and many homes, all of which could have been prevented. American smokers have made smoking a normal daily activity that children around the world observe and accept as normal. This makes children much more likely to pick up the same habit. Around the world, non-smokers and children are exposed to deadly second-hand smoke every day. There is nowhere to go to protect us from this silent killer. Smoking should not be permitted in public places due to the exposure of non-smokers to second-hand smoke, the negative impact of smoking on the environment, and the potential health risks faced by the smoker. Smoking in public places should not be allowed because it exposes non-smokers to second-hand smoke. Smoking is supposed to be a choice; however, this is no longer the case. Everywhere Americans turn, there is another smoker polluting the ever-precious air we humans need to survive. Non-smokers have virtually no choice about middle of paper...... Potential life lost and productivity losses - United States, 2000-2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2008;57(45):1226–8.2. Colgrove. James, Ronald Bayer and Kathleen E. Bachynski. “Nowhere to hide?” The ban on smoking in public spaces. The New England Journal of Medicine 364.25 (2011):2375-2377.3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking: a report from the surgeon general. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Officeon Smoking and Health, 2004.4. Smith, Elizabeth, Patricia A. McDaniel. “Cover their butts: answers to the cigarette litter problem.” » Tobacco control 2011: 100-106.