Editor,
A battle was sparked almost a year ago concerning the monstrous problem of smoking on campus. A group of students, faculty, staff and community members united to fight for smoke-free air on campus. The reasons are numerous and have been made clear to the public countless times in the Daily Lobo, the Albuquerque Journal, KUNM radio and KOB television news.
It's surprising that in the year 2006, there is still a fight for tobacco-free air. How many more facts, figures, statistics and deaths does our society need in order to believe the truth that tobacco smoke pollution is a serious health hazard?
This summer, U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona released a report entitled "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke." It contained the following five major conclusions:
Many millions of Americans are still exposed to secondhand smoke despite substantial progress in tobacco control.
Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in people who do not smoke.
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Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
The scientific evidence indicates that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
"The debate is over. The science is clear. Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard," Carmona said.
As UNM launches into yet another school year, don't forget that a war has been ignited between scientific health facts and corporate-machine-supporting cigarette addicts. The battlefield is our campus.
If you want clean air to breathe between classes and on your way to and from school, support a smoke-free UNM campus indoors and out. It's not about stripping away the rights of a certain group of people. It's about granting the right to clean air on campus to all people. This is our school, our workplace and, for many of us, our home. You have the chance to better this place by supporting a smoke-free campus.
Kristen Woodruff
UNM student
