Tobacco Free Campuses Research Paper

The smoking habit is the principal cause of illness, disability and death around the world. More than five million of people in the world die due to smoking habit every year. If we don’t take care of this in 2030 the amount will be ten million. Seven million of these deaths would be in poor countries.

In today’s society we have come to the freedom of choice. That includes freedom of choosing schools you wish to attend or what you do to your body, including smoking and using tobacco. At FSU they are taking steps in becoming a tobacco free campus. Tobacco products are a harm to your because they will hurt your mind and body. They can corrupt your future and change your whole career goals. They can detriment your family now and your future family you plan on having later. Banning tobacco and smoking at FSU and on school campuses will help everyone now and in the future.

To understand the current culture of smoking at Wilkes University, research about smoking among college students was analyzed, a survey was given to the University body, and a national smoke-free day was held to promote a wave of change towards a smoke-free campus culture. During the Fall 2015 semester, the well-being of Wilkes University was improved with the establishment of a smoking policy. The health problems associated with smoking are reasons why establishing policies on college campuses are necessary.It is no secret that smoking tobacco can harm nearly every organ in the body. Specifically, smoking tobacco can cause autoimmune diseases, affect bone density, harm blood cells and damage the function of the heart. It can also negatively

Did you know, smoking causes more than” 440,000 deaths” per year? (“Effects of Tobacco” 1). That is an overwhelming number of deaths that could be prevented if only the individuals did not use tobacco. As of 2008, East Tennessee State University has adopted a tobacco-free policy for not only the safety of students, but their overall mental and physical health as well. That policy has been increasing on college campuses at a nationwide level. As of 2009, the American College Health Association adopted a position statement on a no tobacco use policy that encourages colleges and universities to become 100% tobacco free. As you can assume this has caused major debates on whether these policies should be established or not. In our current society, because of the policy many schools have chosen to be a part of that movement. There are 1,713 smoke free campuses and 1,427 100% tobacco free campuses in the United States. These numbers are substantial. There are many reasons that campuses should adapt tobacco-free policies on their university school grounds. Tobacco should be banned from ETSU, and other college campuses because it is a health hazard to the smokers and bystanders, it encourages individuals to stop smoking or never to start, and it makes the transition from school to the career field much easier.

The smoke-free policy at the University of Texas at Austin and the presence of such signs around campus helps prevent college students from beginning to smoke, contributing to the future health of students, and prevents the ill effects of secondhand smoke on everyone on

Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. No matter what the degree of smoking, it will increase the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, etc. In 2015, the smoking rate in the United States is 15.1%, which means 36.5 million Americans smoking currently. Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. And of these deaths, more than 41,000 were due to exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can cause the same health issue as smoking. Every year, the healthcare cost related to the smoking illness is more than $300 billion in the United States.

The American Heart Association reports an even gloomier number, “Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing a number of chronic disorders. (AHA, 2005).

According to CDC (2011) smoking is not only the leading cause of preventable deaths, smoking aggravates the seriousness of other pathologies, creating health complications that need additional medical care, and requiring additional expense on the part of individuals and the taxpayers that support State and Federal health systems. Chronic illnesses, especially those that can lead to morbidity, the hours that employee can work and be productive. Therefore, there are additional costs to individuals and to the greater society. These additional costs and reductions in productivity can be avoided if States reinvest in smoking cessation campaigns at levels equal to or higher than in the 21st century. According to CDC (2011) and Werner (2008) smoking not only costs money, it takes off ten to fourteen years from the normal life expectancy of the smoker and those that are exposed to second hand smoke regularly.

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. Nicotine addiction is a serious and expensive problem. Smokers have decreased productivity and on average make less than non-smokers. Smoking is lethal to the human body through heart disease, respiratory illness, and increased likelihood and mortality of cancer.

Being a successful tobacco-free campus is incredibly important because it is known that cigarette smoking is the most prevalent amongst college students. College is the time where most individuals begin smoking and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Therefore, if a campus is successfully tobacco free then that makes it much harder for the students to be influenced into smoking. This is because those within the age group of eighteen to twenty-five years

How dangerous is second-hand smoke? The Indiana Prevention Resource Center also tells us that it contains more than 300 known poisons, including such deadly substances as nicotine, arsenic, cyanide, carbon monoxide, phenol, and formaldehyde (internet). According to a study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a thorough analysis of the many respiratory studies on the health effects of second-hand smoke concluded that it caused lung cancer among non-smokers (internet). According to Bill Alder and Steve Allen, the Environmental Protection Agency and Naval Research Laboratory estimated that between five hundred and five thousand non-smokers die each year of lung cancer alone from exposure to cigarette smoke (18). I, for one, am outraged by this! How can studies so obviously prove the dangers of second-hand smoke, yet action on campus against it is confined only to buildings and not applicable to the entire campus? The risks that are inflicted upon non-smokers by second-hand smoke are far too great to allow this jeopardous activity to continue.

Many universities have taken the risk to become tobacco free because of the life altering effects smoking creates to students. According to Joseph Lee, a researcher with the Tobacco Prevention program at the University of North Carolina says, “while some campus’ administration have worried about changed in enrollment after adopting tobacco-free campus policies, the evidence suggests that a more healthful campus is just as desirable to students.” Joseph is exactly right. According to a survey given to Oregon community college students, which 1 out of 3 students are exposed to second hand smoke every day, would prefer to attend a smoke free campus. Likewise, 69% of university staff said they would chose a smoke free college over one that allows smoking (Smokefree).

Nicotine use is a leading preventable cause of death in the world, directly and indirectly responsible for 440,000 deaths per year. The health problems that result in tobacco use tally an annual of $75 billion in direct medical costs (Slovic 36). That money spent on medical problems for smokers should be used to pay for more important things in our society such as schools, libraries, childcare, etc.

The tobacco industry is important to the economy. In 1991, worldwide tobacco sales exceeded $59.8 billion and in 1992 the industry was rated as one of the top one hundred advertisers (Pechmann and Ratneshwar, 1994). However, there are high prices to pay - socially, economically, and personally - as a result of this industry. Annual mortality figures indicate that cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. An estimated 390,000 people die each year of smoke related illnesses, which is greater than the combined mortality for cocaine, crack, AIDS, homicide, suicide, and alcohol abuse (Botvin, G., Baker, Botvin, E., Dusenbury, Cardwell, and Diaz, 1993).

The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation (ANRF) published a list of campuses that have comprehensive tobacco-free or smoke-free policies in place. As of April 1, 2016, there were 1,483 100% smoke-free campuses, of which 1,137 - more than two-thirds! -- were fully tobacco-free. In addition, a rapidly growing number of 823 now also prohibit the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, anywhere on campus. Smoking on campus should be banned, because it affects people who have asthma and secondhand smokers, cigarettes smells terrible, and it’s a safety hazard.