Smoking ban would help those who are trying to quit

Editor,

I am a pharmacy student at UNM, and after reading Kristen Woodruff's letter in the Daily Lobo on Thursday regarding smoking on campus, I felt I needed to add a bit.

I agree that second-hand smoke can be lethal. Not only do you have to worry about the smoke getting into others' lungs, but there is also the chance - quite big, in fact - that other people are trying to quit smoking. When they smell cigarette smoke, it makes them want to have a cigarette. If smokers want to kill themselves, that's their choice. However, they should not be allowed to bring down those who are trying to quit around them.

Smoking is more addictive than heroin. A heroin abuser trying to quit doesn't have to be subjected to others doing heroin around him and thus causing him to relapse. Alcoholics can avoid temptations of drinking by avoiding places that sell liquor. Smokers trying to quit are at a loss. No matter where they go, there is someone smoking.

Shouldn't those trying to quit be able to go through one day without being so blatantly tempted? And shouldn't the educational setting for which students pay thousands of dollars in tuition every year protect these students instead of the smokers? Students trying to quit smoking should be able to focus on school and be aided by the University in trying to choose a healthy lifestyle for themselves.

Joey Calabro

UNM student