Reasons Why Government Should Ban Smoking in Public Places

As more places think of banning smoking in public areas, Kentucky, as one of the more difficult tobacco-using states, will surely proceed to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this matter with significant fervor. As someone in the health and fitness industry, I feel the obligation to weigh this concern.  There are plenty of reasons why smoking must be banned. Here are some:

No. 1: Secondhand smoke has severe adverse health impacts even if its a Let’s RELX vape. I especially don’t mind what you do to your own body, although the educator in me would suggest you to resign for your own good. I do care that your behavior influences the health of others.

No. 2: Litter decrease. Cigarette butts equates for thousands of pieces of litter annually and detracts from a location’s aesthetic. If smokers would get rid of their waste correctly when they’re in public areas, this might may not be a big deal, but unfortunately, they don’t. The proof is there, dirtying clean buildings and the neighboring landscape with cigarette trash. A smoking ban would lessen litter. Although not a main argument in assistance of a public smoking ban, it is still a reliable one.

No. 3: The lingering smell of stale cigarettes. In bars and restaurants and other institutions that permit smoking, several patrons find the scent of cigarettes to be uncomfortable and irritating. Cigarette smoke does stick on people’s clothes and hair and takes longer to disappear even after the person smoking has left. Clothes used to a smoky bar may still smell like smoke after a few days.

No. 4: The power to a good workplace. It is the burden of the employer to give a safe and healthy atmosphere for its workers. While a to of workers prefer to work in workplaces that allow smoking, others may choose not to be around smoke but continue to do so since they need the work. A smoking ban opponent may just say, “work somewhere without smoke,” yet I would say that your determination to smoke in public is not as essential as that employee’s health and livelihood.

The Effect of Technology on Government

The government must respond better to technological change, argues the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure in a survey published today.

The observation that technological developments are accelerating at an ever-increasing pace, are interrelated more and have an ever greater influence on the way in which we shape our lives and that they raise more and more questions about the consequences, the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure agrees ( RLI) is part of the broad procession of technology observers.

More individual perspective can be found where the council explores what the technological cakewalk means for the role of the government.

The council emphasizes increasing adaptive capacity. In other words, a government that is more actively concerned with the way in which new technology acquires a place in society, that initiates debate and study about the impact of innovations on social values. The survey shows that the Council mainly asks questions, wants to provide the government with an agenda for the social debate about modern technology.

4 themes on which the council elaborates

1. Safeguarding the public interest of the data infrastructure

The data infrastructure has become a crucial part of our living environment, its dysfunction has an enormous impact. Values ​​such as open access, transparency, security, privacy and robustness are increasingly coming to the fore in data use and data traffic.

2. Safeguarding values ​​such as transparency, accessibility, privacy and trust

The Council notes that these values ​​have lost their ground, while new anchors are not yet there. Will our personal data receive a price, if companies like Google and Facebook can earn so much money with it, will companies that handle personal data reliably get an advantage?

3. Broadening social debate about technology

Ongoing debates about the impact of technological development, active research to understand what is going on, making implicit choices in technology development visible, and actively monitoring via big data and digital forums about how technology is society may or may not find its way, according to the new repertoire of strategies, instruments and interventions that the council offers the government.

4. Take into account the effects of technological innovations on spatial planning and infrastructure

The Council mainly poses questions here. The functions and purpose of buildings are changing faster and faster, what does this mean for decision-making on spatial planning?

The living environment itself is becoming increasingly intelligent with the use of interconnected sensors. What does this mean for spatial planning? What new dependencies does this create on suppliers?

Physical and virtual space are becoming increasingly intertwined, new energy technology, different use of buildings and spaces, all this means that spatial explorations are pointless if these factors are not taken into account, the council says about its own activities.

What does this mean for the role of the government?

The Council notes that traditional models of social participation, such as that of a political party or association, are always being replaced by participation in networks. It is therefore important to organize these networks in such a way that broader groups are given the opportunity to participate in them.
The instruments with which the government works also deserve adjustment. New players can have a major impact on public interests and values ​​in the shortest time, so a type of toolbox is needed that exploits the opportunities of technological innovations while limiting the risks.

Since networks are playing larger role, the government’s position is changing, as well as the government must seek assistance in ‘outsourced help desk services.’ Active exploration and experimental learning are a more suitable method for this than traditional top-down management.

Government in Driving Safety

Drive safely.

The government establishes legislation to ensure road safety both inside and outside the vehicle. This includes laws about child seats, vehicle lighting, and the use of seat belts, among other things.

Rules for safe driving

  • Alcohol or drugs in traffic
    It is illegal to drive when under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A fine, a mandatory course, or surrendering one’s driver’s license can be imposed as punishment. The government intends to use these fines to discourage drunk driving.
  • Road signs and traffic rules
    The manual Road signs and traffic rules discusses traffic signs and traffic rules. Please contact the road authority if you have any concerns or comments about road signs on public roads.
  • MOT
    During the general periodic inspection (MOT) , the car is tested for safety and environmental requirements.

Crash tests of cars

The European Union has a scheme that performs crash checks to assess automotive safety. The Euro NCAP is the European Union’s vehicle safety assessment program. The initiative helps manufactures to make their vehicles cleaner. Car crash prevention has been improved.

The Dutch national government is one of the seven European governments that formed Euro NCAP in 1997. Via their umbrella European organizations, the ANWB and the Consumentenbond are active in the Netherlands. This extensive cooperation allows for the testing of a wide range of vehicles. In addition, the crash tests’ accuracy must be improved.

Distraction in traffic

Keeping an electronic gadget for contact and/or information retrieval in the car is also banned as of July 1, 2019. For example, a phone, navigation device, tablet, or music player. You may be fined €240 for this. This only applies if you really drive. This is permissible if you are standing still.

 

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Online scan for elderly driver

Older drivers can test their driving ability online. A self-test allows the elderly driver to assess their own driving skill as well as the driving performance offered. The aim of this online self-scan is to keep the elderly as mobile as possible.

Older driver self-test
Commissioned by the Regional Road Safety Authority East Netherlands and the Water, Traffic and Living Environment (WVL) department of Rijkswaterstaat, Cito has worked on the development of a web-based self-test for older motorists. In the self-test, an individual older driver goes through a number of partial tests, on the basis of which a picture is obtained of his own driving ability, the driving performance delivered and the underlying factors.

Keep driving safely – the self-scan and the local process
At the initiative of ROV East Netherlands, in collaboration with Infrastructure and Water Management, a scan has been developed about elderly people in traffic in the municipality of Raalte. By raising awareness of the consequences of aging for driving, the initiators want to contribute to road safety.

Government Intervention In Water Shortages

Measures for sufficient fresh water

If there is no rain for a long time and the temperature is high, a freshwater shortage can arise. The government intervenes if a water shortage threatens. For example, by dividing the available water among parties that need it.

Consequences of freshwater shortage
Freshwater shortage can cause the following problems:

  • Drinking water companies cannot extract enough water that is suitable for making drinking water.
  • Peat dikes can crack or tear due to drying out so that they can no longer provide safety against high water.
  • Farmers do not have enough water to irrigate fields.
  • Plants and animals in nature do not find enough drinking water to survive.
  • Due to the low water levels, fewer ships can sail.
  • The industry has insufficient water to cool machines, for example.
  • Because there is less supply of freshwater, saltwater has the opportunity to flow further into the Netherlands. Salinization can have adverse effects on agriculture and drinking water extraction.

Prevention of freshwater shortage
The government can take measures to prevent freshwater shortages. For example by:

Storage of water
During wet periods, the government can temporarily store the water in surface water. For example, by widening rivers and ditches so that more water can enter.

Less runoff of rainwater through sewers
Rainwater is clean and can be used immediately. For example in agriculture. In urban areas, downspouts and gutters drain the water into the sewer such as ‘water damage restoration corona ca’. There, harmful substances and organisms end up in the water. Using asphalt and concrete more economically should result in less water entering the sewer system. And more rainwater directly into the ground.

Construction of buffer zones around wet nature areas
Various nature reserves in the Netherlands have problems due to drought. The groundwater level is too low to maintain water-rich nature. A buffer zone with a higher (ground) water level around a wetland nature reserve counteracts this problem.

Invest in drought measures

The 2018 drought has only reinforced the urgency of a good fresh water supply. That is why the cabinet is making € 7 million available for drought measures. Among other things for the storage of water in the sandy areas, solutions against salinization and monitoring evaporation. This is part of the total available budget of € 400 million for the Delta Program Freshwater.

Government intervenes in the event of a freshwater shortage

Are there long periods of dry and warm weather? Then the government will take the following measures to have as much fresh water available as possible:

  • Sprinkling peat dikes – This can prevent the dykes from drying out.
  • Distribution of the available water
    If there is a water shortage, the available water must be divided among parties that need it. Agreements have been made about the order in which water users receive water in the National scenario for water distribution and drought. These agreements are also referred to as the displacement series. There is a special committee for water distribution: the National Water Distribution Coordination Committee (LCW).
  • Raising water level
    In the event of water shortages, Rijkswaterstaat and the water boards can temporarily raise the water level. For example, by pumping more water into the area via a pumping station. This creates temporary supplies of freshwater. The water level cannot be raised indefinitely. Ships, for example, must be able to continue sailing under bridges. And agricultural areas must not get too wet.

Desiccation invaluable natural areas

Preventing or reducing desiccation of nature areas is not easy. The measures that are required also affect the water balance in the area around it. This can clash with other water interests. The government focuses on areas where nature is very valuable: the Natura2000 areas and the Nature Network Netherlands.

The Cabinet And The Government

According to the constitution, the government has the task of making laws together with the Senate and the House of Representatives of the States-General. The government also concludes international treaties, establishes foreign policy, regulates defense, and appoints mayors, commissioners of the king, and members of the judiciary. The tasks stated in the constitution are carried out by the government under parliamentary control. Parliament cannot reverse government decisions in this area, but it can let you know if it disagrees. If necessary, the parliament can give up its confidence in the government, so that the cabinet must resign.

The Cabinet
In addition to ministers, there are also state secretaries. A state secretary is a kind of deputy minister, but he does not replace a minister when he is absent. The Minister and State Secretary jointly make agreements about who is involved. All ministers and state secretaries together form the cabinet. The king is not one of them. The ministers head a ministry or department. In addition to shaping and implementing policy, they, therefore, have to manage often many hundreds of civil servants. There are currently eleven departments. But this number can be different for each cabinet formation. The names and tasks of ministries can also change. A cabinet often also includes a few ministers who do not have their own ministry. A minister who does not manage his own department is called a ‘minister without portfolio’ – and nowadays also known as a program minister. They sometimes have to ensure that all government parties are represented according to the election results. Sometimes they are also appointed to indicate that this is an important policy area for the government.

Minister-president
The Prime Minister plays a special role. He is not the only chairman of the Council of Ministers, but he is also in particular responsible for coordinating government policy. He is also the face of the cabinet. He presents the cabinet policy, for example, every Friday after the cabinet meeting at a press conference and on a regular television channel. He also represents the Netherlands in the European Council of government leaders. The Prime Minister therefore also plays a major role in foreign policy. Unlike in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister in the Netherlands cannot appoint and dismiss individual ministers as he sees fit.

The national budget – Minister of Finance
An important part of government policy lies in the adoption of the annual national budget. This shows the influential position of the Minister of Finance. From January to July, negotiations are held every year between the Minister of Finance and the ministers of departments where large expenditures are made. If they don’t agree, the council of ministers will have to take the plunge. The national budget must be ready in August because it is presented to parliament on Budget Day. If you are interested in government, you can watch it on your TV using ‘iptv‘.

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