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The campus police and Student Government
recently said they would propose a smoke-free campus, which is
a great idea.
Finally non-smokers won't have to take
in the smell of ashtrays every time they enter campus buildings.
Research shows that even secondhand smoke
exposes one to the same 4,000 toxic chemicals that a smoker inhales.
It causes coughing, headaches, eye irritation, sore throat, sneezing
and runny nose, breathing problems, irregular heartbeat, increased
risk of heart disease and lung cancer, worsening of chest problems
and allergies.
All these effects can potentially inhibit
education, and removing these toxins from the air would enormously
benefit all students.
Aside from keeping non-smokers away from
the health hazards of second-hand smoke, maybe making it harder
for people to smoke will force them to quit and add a few years
to their lives.
When refusing to give up the addiction
smokers can suffer at least four consequences: Physical, social,
financial and emotional.
Physically we covered that already,
but remember it can make you really sick.
Socially It stinks. Nicotine also
stains walls as well as fingers, spoils clothes and furniture,
and increases the risk of fire in the home. Nice touch for friends
and family.
Financially - A pack of cigarettes costs
$4. Buying one pack a week, you would spend $208 in a year. Imagine
buying one pack a day. That is $1,460 down the drain.
Emotionally It is a turnoff to potential
partners and leaves you feeling like a slave to cigarettes.
Smoking is clearly a bad habit that the
American people have included in their culture. But given our
modern-day knowledge of its harmfulness, it would be stupid not
to take steps to purge it from our society.
The movie Spartan pointed out this disgusting
American characteristic when Val Kilmer saved the daughter of
a high-ranking United States Government official. He told her
she couldn't smoke because the kidnappers could find them by
"the smell of American tobacco."
Although smoking bans are not a new idea, banning smoking in
outdoor places is. But the bandwagon is growing. Hopefully all
community colleges will come to their senses one day and ban
the life-threatening addiction from their campuses.
Until then, though, Eastfield should step
up to the plate and eliminate smoking on-campus for the good
of all its paying students.
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