smoking

The actual disease risks from sidestream smoke are extremely low, so low as to be almost negligible. However, there are some factors that make it wothwhile minimising exposure: 1 some people are allergic (as we have seen above); 2 some people dislike the smell intensely; 3 some people develop psychosomatic symptoms; and 4 very few develop actual illnesses. Most problems with smoking in buildings arise not from smoking per se, but from lack of adequate airflow in sealed surroundings (i.e. air conditioners don't push through enough air to prevent smoke accumulation nor to disperse human-borne bugs). Part of the problem is the attribution to cigarette smoke the problems caused by generally unhealthy air. Sometimes people forget history. There was a time when the audience smoked in cinemas and theatres, and chairs were provided with ashtrays. This (and smoking in planes, workplaces and other confined spaces) should have realised a huge number of smoking-related diseases . . . but there is no historical evidence for this. If smoking is intrinsic and important to the play, then it should be occur (either real, with substitutes, or simulated). I expect, though, that in many cases, it is not necessary for maintaining the integrity of the plot, and could safely be avoided. ut