I feel the need to respond to Gabe Bradley’s column regarding how cool he believes it is to smoke and that his “valid choice” should be his alone with no “unreasonable restrictions” (“Attention nonsmokers: Butt out of our choices,” ODE Jan. 31). I want to give him the benefit of doubt and believe that his column was written as a tongue in cheek commentary. I wonder though, how he can make light of smoking when it causes over 440,000 deaths a year in this country alone. With all the work our students have done to bring attention to the many consequences in choosing to smoke I must say a few words.
First of all, I will disclose that I am a health educator on campus and have worked with students, faculty and staff on campus and in the community to bring attention to not only the problems associated with active smoking but also with environmental tobacco smoke or second hand smoke.
Bradley points out that smoking causes cancerous lungs and holes in throats, which is not cool. He also points out that smokers are sometimes treated poorly, and I agree with him that we should not demonize smokers. It is an addiction that is very difficult to quit. Most students started smoking before coming to college because they, as young teens, wanted to be cool. They didn’t understand the strength of nicotine so when they decided smoking is uncool it wasn’t that easy to just quit.
I will point out what we do know about our student smokers on campus. As of spring 2004, data from the University of Oregon Student Health survey showed that 20.5 percent of the student body smoked when asked if they smoke even a little bit. Of those who smoke, a majority (77 percent) have considered quitting and 68 percent had tried to quit. To summarize, most of our students choose not to smoke. Most of our students who do smoke want to quit.
In another survey conducted by our peer educators, 185 students were asked if they would support a campus wide policy prohibiting tobacco use within 50 feet of building perimeters. Seventy-six percent said yes. When asked, “Do you support a policy prohibiting tobacco use throughout the UO campus?” 49 percent said yes, 37 percent said no and 14 percent were indifferent.
From the readings I have done I have come to conclude that smoking and the tobacco industry in particular is totally not cool. This industry produces a product that is known to cause cancer, animal cruelty, uses child labor and causes ecological destruction, to name a few. A Web site to check out is http://www.bigtobaccosucks.org for more information.
The tobacco industry markets aggressively to 18-24 year olds, the first legal ages they are allowed to do so. The industry attempts to portray smoking as cool to get these young adults to start. What they don’t tell you is how uncool addiction is and when you decide to quit, “when you graduate” as I often hear from students, it is not easy.
For those students who do smoke and want to quit, know that there is help and support. Call the health center at (541) 346-2770 and meet with a practitioner to discuss what help is available or drop by the Health Resource Center located across from the Fir Room in the EMU for more information on quitting. You can also give me a call at (541) 346-2728 if interested in free gum and patches while supplies last. Our pharmacy carries low cost patches and gum as well. The Oregon Quit Line is also there for you at 1-877-270-STOP.
There are two Web sites I like that go through the daily lives of two smokers as they quit. They are bobquits.com and maryquits.com.
 

Paula R. Staight is the Director of Health Education at the University Health Center