Show f. f f SMOKING OUTSIDE BUILDINGS BUILDINGS- l f m mI mf w wj r f Jennifer JuddY Judd j I Y Contributing Writer t In Stephen Kings King's book Nightmares pes he describes The Ten O'Clock People as an odd little tribe sub who huddle together like sheep doing their thing He is of course describing smokers who begin taking taking taking tak- tak ing their outdoor breaks at about l- l 1000 am These People are the only humans who have the ability the aliens around to see sec walking downtown Boston Sometimes IK I Iwonder Iwonder K wonder if the Ten O'Clock People at Salt Lake Community a- a College have lost the ability to see regular human smokers non-smokers who l fight their way through clouds of o secondhand smoke to enter and exit buildings on the various cam cam- The south door of the Technology Building Redwood Campus is is the worst sight for violations violations violations vio vio- lations of the thc Utah Indoor Clean Air Act enacted January 1 I 1995 which states that smoking is not permitted within 25 feet of public use buildings In 1993 the Environmental Protection Agency declared secondhand secondhand secondhand sec sec- smoke to be a major carcinogen carcinogen carcinogen car car- cancer inducing substance substance substance sub sub- stance causing at least deaths a year smoke smoke that drifts off the end of a burning cigarette and passive smoke smoke that has been exhaled by someone who smokes both describe types of secondhand smoke The American Association for Respiratory Care conducted conducted conducted con con- ducted a study of secondhand smoke in 1986 that concluded involuntary smoking is a cause of disease including lung cancer in healthy nonsmokers Cigarette smoke contains dangerous chemicals chemicals chemicals chemi chemi- cals such as carbon monoxide nicotine and tar These chemicals increase your risk of several kinds of cancer heart disease heart attack and chronic respiratory illness ill illness illness ill ill- ness and disease If you dont don't enjoy smoking in fact detest it you are guaranteed not to enjoy secondhand smoke Walking past a wisp of smoke probably wont won't affect you but holding your breath while you hurry through 20 feet of thick cloud cover to get to your next class is bound to irritate you more than just a little Arriving in class dass to find that your clothes smell of smoke is not quite the first impression you wanted to communicate The American Cancer Society states that one of every four college students is a smoker That means at we have smokers if we follow national trends Luckily they do not all congregate around doorways all at once although it may seem like it on rainy or very cold days This is not just a problem for students who have to make their way through the smoke smoke gets sucked back into the buildings and ventilation systems defeating the idea of a smoke-free smoke building The 25 foot rule specified by the Clean Air Act is enforced by Campus Pol Police ce by special request and while on routine walks around campus Detective Mike Loyd Redwood Campus said they make requests once or twice a day for smokers to move away from door door- ways He admitted that the south door of the Tech Building is the worst sight for offenses because there is no safe place to put ashtrays ashtrays ashtrays ash ash- trays 25 feet from the building They would be on the inclined ramp and cause obstacles for handicapped handicapped handicapped hand hand- students No citations for lighting up within the 25 foot smoke-free smoke zone have been issued yet I dont don't want to tell people whether r they can or cant can't smoke I pride myself on acceptance of other people no matter their habits I just dont don't want to endanger my health with complications from secondhand smoke any more than is absolutely necessary I am asking for smokers to be more aware of their surroundings and not to pollute pollute pollute pol pol- pol- pol lute high traffic areas Since we can define the single worst doorway as the south entrance of the Tech Building a simple solution can be considered Erect 8 foot acrylic barriers on either side of the doorway doorway doorway door door- way to channel smoke up and provide provide provide pro pro- vide a clear pathway for students entering and exiting the building A type bathroom-type ventilation system could be installed to further direct smoke away from pedestrians This would be a precautionary measure not a free ticket to light up just outside outside outside out out- side the doorway The Campus Police would still monitor the situation situation situation situ situ- and enforce the Indoor Clean Air Act The Student Senate has addressed this issue many times without a suitable solution Maybe its it's time to look at the option of simple barriers in the areas of worst offense |