By Joyce Wagner
The U.S. Surgeon General defines ssecondhand smoke as the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals. Hundreds are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer. According to the Surgeon General, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
One factor associated with tobacco use is the perception that tobacco use is the norm. Robert Hill, a DSC nursing student, pointed out the large number of dual enrollment students at Daytona State College campuses, and added, “We know that young adults are influenced by their peers. How can we ignore this responsibility?” The Center for Disease Control lists several ideas to help lower tobacco use, including ccomprehensive school-based tobacco-use prevention policies and programs, including the option of a tobacco-free campus.
“College attendance could be a turning point in choosing not to use tobacco,” emphasized Nancy Homan, the fitness and aquatic center coordinator. She noted the board has a chance to curb tobacco use, in turn preventing a new group of lifetime smokers.
The board then opened the discussion amongst themselves. While there was still some hesitation, the main concern was how the students, staff and faculty of DSC feel about the issue. Homan directed everyone to the student life section of the DSC website, and specifically the No Butts link. Two surveys, one fall 2010, and the other spring 2011, questioned students and faculty regarding tobacco use and ways to deal with it. The majority of respondents in both surveys would like to see DSC’s campuses become tobacco-free. The inconvenience of walking through smoke to get to class was also mentioned by most. A majority of the smokers surveyed stated they would like to quit. DSC has partnered with Bethune Cookman College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to offer smoke cessation classes.
Forough Hosseini spoke her concern that DSC has an older student population than other area colleges. According to the DSC website, the median age of students for the 2011/ 2012 school year was 23. She also questioned how the policy would be enforced if approved. Hosseini did however approve the first reading of the policy.
In response to enforcement, Bob Lewis said the students would mostly police themselves.
If the policy is adopted next month, it will go into effect August 1, 2013. Smoking and tobacco use would still be allowed in personal vehicles, but nowhere else on DSC campuses. Davis, a smoker, was concerned about the rights of smokers, and if it would be “discriminating against the student who doesn’t have a car.”
John Tanner said he feels the new policy still allows students a choice to smoke in their car or a friend’s car. Whether a person’s rights “adversely affect others or make an unpleasant environment for others” is the issue, he said.
The 1st reading of the Tobacco-Free Police, Policy 7.16, passed with a 6-1 vote. The lone dissenter, Bob Davis, would like to see the results of a new survey of student and faculty before the April 18, 2013 meeting. A survey will be conducted in the near future, possibly through Falcon Mail accounts.