*Hack* *Wheeze*
This is what I sounded like last year, whenever I was outside at ACC. Why? Because of the quantity and quality of second hand smoke. In this case, quality means thickness, and at times, it was quite thick. It makes me feel sick, I really want to throw up when I'm around it for too long. And I don't even want to think about what it's doing to my lungs.
This year, I've felt much better and healthier while walking around campus. I also smell better. ACC decided to ban smoking on their campuses, and I support and thank them wholeheartedly. I can now breathe easier, and I don't worry so much about dying from smoke from smokers. (Living in a city with pollution though, can I ever rest easy?)
There are people who are objecting to the ban. For one, they're saying that people now have nowhere to smoke. This is not true. I see smokers out by the street, just off the edge of campus, every day when I come in. I'm fine with that. When they're way out there, they aren't hurting anyone but themselves.
Another objection is that it's not hurting anyone. That is just plain wrong. According to the American Cancer Society, 3,400 people die from lung cancer caused by second hand smoke alone, every year. That's not to mention the 46,000 deaths from heart disease. All from second hand smoke, in the United States alone, not to mention the rest of the world. I don't want to die because someone else wanted to feel good for a little while and wasn't polite enough to move somewhere away from other people.
Universities are supposed to be a place of learning and safety. I don't want to have to hurt myself every time I walk out side. I believe that anti smoking laws should be put into effect for all college and university campuses, as ACC has shown that it's perfectly viable and easy to do.
I definitely agree with the author's viewpoint on second hand smoke. First, the author introduces how second hand smoke poses a problem around college campuses from first hand experience. It makes the reader imagine themselves in the author's shoes. Then, the author explains how different breathing is on campus with a ban on smoking on campus. The author also explores opponent's viewpoints on the ban, saying that smokers have nowhere else to smoke and that they are not hurting anyone. With credible sources such as the American Cancer Society, the author uses significant statistics to rule our opponent's arguments.
ReplyDeleteTo conclude, the author emphasizes the importance of anti-smoking laws for universities and college campuses. I wish that St. Edward's University had a ban on smoking on campus. When walking to class, I go from enjoying the beautiful weather to being smothered in second hand smoke. There is even an area on campus where smokers crowd, creating a tunnel of smoke. It is awful to experience, but smokers call it "socializing." I am not against smoking cigarettes, but they do need to be more considerate even if there are no bans on smoking on campus. The distance from smoking off campus and smoking on campus is not large, but the difference it will make will be even bigger.
In response to Mark’s post “*Cough*” he explains his view on the impact of second hand smoke.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning of Mark’s post he brings a picture into my mind of exactly what I think when I walk by a cloud of cigarette smoke. The smell of cigarettes is nauseating to me and as he stated “I don't even want to think about what it's doing to my lungs.”
As Mark goes on he brought reliable facts from the American Cancer Society website on how harmful second hand smoke really is. I didn’t even know that the number of fatalities tied to second hand smoke was so high! It’s scary to think how many times I may have walked past someone that was smoking and how much of an impact it can have on a person. I know some people can’t kick the habit, but as Mark had explained going off campus can benefit us nonsmokers and leave smokers to do their own thing.
I appreciate that he showed there is a solution to the problem of second hand smoke by bringing up ACC and how they banned smoking on campus. I agree that this was a great decision and I am glad I can walk into class without harming my health or smelling like a pack of cigarettes.