Efforts to Reduce Smoking Among College Students

Smoking has been reduced over the past two decades, but “cigarette smoking among college students is of concern because the smoking prevalence among college students did not decrease as it did among the general population,” (Harrar et al. 121). This statement shows the significance of efforts to reduce smoking among college students. I believe college campuses would benefit from a “no-smoking policy”. This policy would serve to eliminate the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke on campuses. If students and faculty are not permitted to smoke on campus, they will have to travel off campus to smoke. Therefore, if smoking on campus property is prohibited, smokers will be inconvenienced, so many students may quit or at least cut back on smoking.

I don’t imagine many people would willingly consume poison, so why do over forty-three million adults in the U.S. currently smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products? Cigarettes contain many harmful substances, such as arsenic, which is found in rat poison. Tobacco also contains over seventy carcinogens, which are cancer-causing substances (CDC). Although many people who use tobacco products know they aren’t healthy, they also aren’t fully aware of the extent to which smoking affects the health of themselves and others. People age eighteen through twenty-four are being targeted by tobacco marketing companies because of their lack of knowledge (Murphy-Hoefer, Alder, and Higbee 371). Another reason this age group is being targeted is because it has been displayed that the occurrence for this age group using tobacco has not decreased as it has among other ages of smokers (ACHA).

One-third of college students admit to using tobacco products in the past month (ACHA). ...

... middle of paper ...

...re empowered to ask people to use the designated areas. I believe that if others were to read the policy and be more aware, then they too would be more empowered.

As of July 2013, more than 1,178 college or university campuses in the U.S. have adopted 100% smoke-free campus policies. I believe that the University of Toledo should adopt this policy as well. If the University of Toledo adopted a complete no-smoking policy, this would greatly reduce and eliminate the effects of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 non-smoking Americans per year. In my opinion, these people are victims, and smokers are the culprits. These non-smokers are subjected to horrendous health problems, medical bills, and sometimes, death. Non-smokers have made the healthy decision and yet over 3,000 of them die each year, all due to smokers.