The smoking process is tricky because people don’t seem to quit.. How highly is it integrated in our life? Or In a life of a city? May the city be our major tobacco dealer? Or it’s not that simple.
Part 1 – Human relation
Tobacco is the main risk factor for lung cancer and, in addition, it is the risk factor that remains the longest in general. It also causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. We are all quite familiar with this information and there is nothing new in it. However, what does make people smoke and ignore such intimidating consequences…
Nicotine reaches your brain within 10 seconds of when it enters your body. It causes the brain to release adrenaline, and that creates a buzz of pleasure and energy. The buzz quickly fades, though. Then you may feel tired or a little down – and you may want that buzz again. It seems, for the sake of hormones, people are willing to sell their souls… or shortage their life.
Associations on smoking are balanced between good and bad.
Part 2 – City relation
Common factors that can influence smoking rates in a city :
Economic factors Health education and messaging Demographic factors
Main factors that can influence smoking rates in Barcelona : (The city has approximately 20% citizens regularly smoke)
Environmental factors Access to tobacco products Cultural attitudes Availability of smoking cessation resources
Identifying patterns of Barcelona imposing smoking and reducing it and will help us to draw a holistic portrait of smoking process in the city
Green areas – completely prohibit smoking by the government. They are non – smoking beach areas, train stations and finally, playgrounds.
Next step – less green indicators. All the indoor premises within buildings. Smoking is prohibited in publicly accessible buildings and if you want to smoke at home – you would probably use your balcony or window outdoors.
There are more likely to smoke assumpted area – street and public spaces outdoors.
Identification completely red flags as tobacco store areas, bars & nightclub entrances, parks and sport area are still accessible for smokers. The major red paint appeared to be the public terraces in front of bars and restaurants.
Today the portrait of the city is dominated by red tones. Though, patterns change fast.
In Spain, the anti-smoking law has been in force since 2010 , but its reform, proposed this year by the Ministry of Health, remains stagnant
But what if…
Substruction of zone of sports stadiums and centers from the red tones as well as park areas and our red dominant cluster – public terraces. The governmental projects suspect to strictly ban smoking there.
Now the portrait palette completely reversed into greens.
Part 3 – Human relation vs City relation
Taking into account all the patterns represented above, are the local decision makers ready to give up smoking to that large green area? Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the project is still in development and not released… Maybe step by step way as free smoking beach example is more natural and realistic. Citizens as humans can not cope with the addiction at the moment on such a big banned scale.
