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For years, Americans have heard warnings about high health spending: The U.S. spends a greater percentage of its economy on health care than any other nation, and the trend lines make clear that in future years we'll be spending more still. More recently, we've seen media attention focus on the prices that Americans pay for medical services.

Smoking is a negative externality. Children who have exposure especially to relatives who smoke will have a greater chance of childhood asthma. The smoking ban is very healthful, as it has caused a decrease in the rate of children emitted to the hospital with severe asthma. The ban on smoking in the enclosed public places has helped the children to have less health problems. The government benefits because it reduces government expenditure in the NHS, which is a public good. The statistics reflect the decrease in admission of about 6800 is a positive benefit to the public especially the young children.

A negative externality hits the society as smokers affect children giving them asthma, according to this article. This effect does not affect the cigarette companies, however, but smoking restrictions came into force in attempts of decreasing the damage it does to society.

A negative externality of smoking

"For those who cannot grasp the extent to which pollution can actually cause harm, how about this: an 8-year-old with lung cancer."