Introduction

Why should UTC become a “Smoke Free” Campus? The number one goal is to create a healthy environment for the student and faculty population at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A healthy society, community, and environment are a few ways to make the campus itself a cleaner and safer area for everyone. Eliminating smoking on the UTC campus and facilities would be the starting point to help living healthier lives for not only students but everyone in the surrounding community as well. Getting everyone involved will be a key to seeing success in the future for our campus. The objective is to understand the detrimental effects of smoking on UTC Campus by students and faculty. We need to start out by convincing people that a “Smoke Free” Campus would have a positive outcome for everyone. The steps to make our campus “Smoke Free” will help motivate other schools and public facilities to do the same.

The danger of smoking is one of the main reasons why the campus should become “Smoke Free”. It can be a safety hazard to the students, faculty, and the facilities if proper action is not taken. If smoking is going to be allowed on the campus and in public areas, then proper waste bins for cigarette butts need to be available. Lit cigarettes on the ground can become dangerous for many people. If cigarettes are not put out and just thrown on the ground, students would bet burns on their feet or legs, or even set their clothes on fire. Smoking affects not only the smokers but also nonsmokers as well. According to American Lung Association, “Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers.” It is also shown that secondhand smoke can cause on average nearly 50,000 deaths per year from nonsmokers (Grzelka. 2009). Not only is secondhand smoke an issue but smokers themselves are at a higher risk of been affected by the nicotine and chemicals in the cigarette. Tobacco contains not only tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide but over 4000 chemicals in which over 200 of them are toxic. The air that is passed on through sidestream smoke is potentially more harmful because the lungs actually cleanse the smoke, so exhaled smoke is less poisonous, thus affecting those who do not smoke Studies show that the number one cause of disease and death in the United States is smoking.

There are three main killing diseases which smoking causes or brings on earlier. Heart disease-Smoking is responsible for 30 percent of all heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths. Cancer -It is responsible for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths each year. Lung problems- Smoking is responsible for 82 percent of deaths due to emphysema and chronic bronchitis. (Rappaport, Wilson, et al.2004)

Smoking can have a negative outcome on anyone who consumes the air in which smoke has been in contact with. In regards to helping control the problem, clean-air laws are being passed to ban smoking in public areas like restaurants, stores, and some hotels.

Since smoking seems to have such a negative effect on anyone who is in contact with it, becoming a “Smoke Free” campus could only mean positive change for everyone. Banning smoking from the campus will make it a more enjoyable and peaceful area. Imagine a campus with no smell of smoke, no cigarette butts on the ground, and no ash trays around campus. A campus with these credentials could be the start of something good. Everyone could walk around in this healthy environment with no complaints or worries. Lower the chance of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease for smokers and even non smokers is something that should motivate everyone to see a change. With smoking being the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, we as citizens should be doing everything we can to take control of this situation. Slowly states across the United States are passing laws that ban smoking in public areas like restaurants, bars, and workplaces. The result is patrons and employees at these facilities are protected from secondhand smoke. Another benefit is that smokers who are trying to quit have an easier time because they are not tempted or enticed for a cigarette because it is no longer at their convenience (Barry & Veatch. 2006). If restaurants and workplaces can have a positive affect like this, then a campus full of young adults should be able to see some of the same results. Becoming a “Smoke Free” campus will take the opportunity for students to smoke a cigarette while walking to class or waiting for their class to start. Taking away the number of easy opportunities for them to light a cigarette may actually lower their desire to want to smoke all of the time. If students want to quit smoking, this could be a great opportunity to keep them from having the free will to smoke in their dorm or on the campus itself.

 Another benefit of a “Smoke Free” campus is a healthier life for all in the community. Smoking is killing young adults sooner in life than they should be dying. Everyone is affected by those that smoke and it has to be change from everyone for the greatest gains to be made. Faculty that has strived in teaching about healthy lifestyle and quality of life knows that smoking is keeping them from achieving their maximal potential. Banning smoking from the campus will allow teachers to educate students more without the disturbance of cigarette smoke. The harmful effects will be taking place off the campus, and maximum gains can be made by students and faculty.

Effects

A number of students when starting college have never smoked before. Once students reach college a majority of them try their first cigarette. When students move on to college they are thrown into the real world, with different people, less guidance and more freedom. Students become easily influenced and they begin to participate in activities they had never done before. According to an article from Pediatrics,

Young smokers commonly identify themselves as "social smokers," a pattern of smoking behavior that is poorly understood. Students who stated that they smoked mainly with others rather than alone or equally by themselves and others were defined as social smokers for this analysis. Social smoking was independently associated with a lower frequency and intensity of tobacco use, less nicotine dependence, less intention to quit, and fewer recent quit attempts. (Moran, Wechsler, Rigotti. 2004)

 Social smoking is just the beginning to what will soon become a regular smoker. Smoking can be easily influenced among others. Being at a party where others are drinking and smoking and temptations are rising, people begin to experiment new things. Journals of American College Health have done studies that students who are of the Caucasian race, drinkers, suffer from depression, etc., are more likely to start smoking. Smoking, especially cigarettes, is a serious public health issue. The problem with cigarette smoking today is that it is the leading cause of preventable death. College students are a particular concern, because the number of students growing rapidly is more becoming more than the number in the adult population (Borders. 2005). Health issues with smoking cause impairment of the respiratory tract. Students who smoke on a daily basis can develop smoker’s cough which can later turn into chronic bronchitis. The breakdown and wear down of the lungs and respiratory system start before any signs become present. Smoking can lead to death among adults, college students, and children.

So how does this effect the campus population as a whole? Well if a mass number of student and faculty smoke on campus everyone is at a greater chance of breathing in all of the hundreds of chemicals released from the cigarettes themselves. Students who already suffer from respiratory problems can see even more negative symptoms if they continue to inhale all of the toxins in the air. Smoking can affect those who are already sick, anyone who is suffering from bronchitis or even a cold, needs to stay away from smokers because the toxins can cause even more problems. Pregnant women on campus put their unborn children at risk of being born with diseases or complications. According to Barbara Boughton’s article on smoking, smoking can make it hard for women to conceive and even interfere with growth during pregnancy. Studies found that 14% of premature births and 10% of infant deaths are related to smoking (Boughton. 2006). College campuses today are not just filled with young adults, parents and older adults are also enrolled. Young children whose parents are smokers or who are in constant contact with someone who smokes become a high risk chance for sudden infancy death ,SIDS, emphysema, asthma, and other diseases that could kill them. Not dramatically, but smoking could cause a decrease in the number of students enrolled, if disease or death becomes a major issue.

So maybe some simple facts about smoking can help them understand the importance of becoming a “Smoke Free” campus. The main cause of campus fires in dorms, apartments, and Greek housing is smoking. With an increase in smoking among college students, fires become a bigger issue for campuses. Students are careless anyways but those who smoke usually increases the chance of drinking as well. Increase in cost on universities goes up for maintenance and repairs for items that are damaged from cigarettes like carpet and furniture (Gomberg. 2003). Students are living in on campus apartments with furniture and appliances that are not theirs, so the idea of making sure that everything is kept neat and clean does not matter to them. So cigarette burns in the couches, on the floor and other locations can start to pile up. With more students being allowed to smoke on and in campus facilities more workers and longer hours have to be devoted to cleaning up the area. It is not just environmental facts we have to worry about; it is also individual and personal facts that need to be discussed. Smoking can actually become very expensive nowadays. With boxes of cigarettes costing around 3 dollars are more, a daily smoker could see themselves spending thousands of dollars for cigarettes. With today’s economy some people cannot afford to spend that kind of money on something that is going to end up killing you sooner than later. Smoking also has hygiene problems like bad breathe stained teeth, and wrinkles. The nicotine in the cigarettes after so many begins to rub up off on the teeth and turned them a yellow color. With smoking playing such big predictor in a heart disease quitting can actually improve your chances and lower your risk. Quitting can help to eliminate factors in cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, etc. If many students are smoking they are increasing their chances of early heart problems, delaying the exercise performance, and altering the life span. Colleges need to be the forefront in young kid’s lives to make sure they get off on the right foot and continue on the right foot.

Barriers

Addiction to smoking is probably the biggest barrier in becoming not only a “Smoke Free” campus but a “Smoke Free” community. An addiction to smoking is a complete dependence on cigarettes or nicotine to the point that not smoking would and could cause mental and physical reactions (Rappaport et al 2004). It was not recognized until the late 20 century that cigarettes were very addictive. The nicotine that is released is sent to the brain and delivers physiological and physical effects to the body, that mean grow accustomed to and later dependent upon. Studies show that first time experiences with cigarettes were very discomforting and a bit disgusting, but with further practice the body became adaptive and immune to the effects. Nicotine bears not only a negative effect on the body; it can also be a calming factor for some. With its ability to help users take control of their attitude, diet, and attention it becomes difficult for people to stop using the product (Hilton. 2009). So why is addiction a barrier in becoming a “Smoke Free” campus? Addiction has the most negative effect on public health problems because of its ability to progress in severity over time. Addiction can also become a physical addiction producing a “chain reaction” in the body. The body converts the nicotine into a main neurotransmitter in the brain and tells the body that it is real receptor. The body becomes dependent upon the cigarettes because that is what neurotransmitter has been used (Rappaport et al 2004). If students and faculty are addicted to smoking and have been doing it for a number of years, a cold turkey stop is going to be hard to accomplish for some. Many will have breakdowns and struggle to get through the day. They will feel incomplete, helpless, and sometimes even confused about what is going on. Addiction is not something that is easy to overcome; it takes some weeks, months, even years to beat. So if these individuals do not have the ability to smoke at their own convenience we could see some reverse effects to the study. Converting the campus into a “Smoke Free” area is going to take time, preparation, and support from everyone in the community and in the school. Teachers, students, workers, volunteers, and neighboring businesses are going to have to work together to beat this smoking issue. If the campus and all of the adjacent public areas are “Smoke Free” it will allow for more area to be clean and for less opportunities for people to smoke unless they drove somewhere everyday to get their one smoke break well. Everyone who is involved in making the campus a healthier and cleaner environment, helping those who are addicted will be the hardest obstacle of all. Addiction will take admittance, desire to stop, will to stop, and support from others to get over. Showing the effects that they have on others around them may help open their eyes to what they are doing to not only those they love but those that they do not even know. If the support becomes altered by one group it will be hard to make the entire campus to smokeless.

The second barrier that has to be conquered is the lack of administrative support. Many teachers at middle schools, high schools, and universities themselves are smokers. They however have probably been using cigarettes since their younger days back in Junior High and college. If the campus does indeed become “Smoke Free” they will have to take time out of their day to go somewhere and smoke away from campus. These could become a hassle and an issue for those teachers who use the nicotine to relieve stress from students and to maintain even normal daily functions. An article released by Scoop stated a quote from Auckland University about banning smoking, “School teachers were greatly impacted by the smoke-free Amendment act, which means they now have to leave school premises to smoke” (Glover. 2008). Many teachers have earned respect and the right to continue on with what they are doing and how they are doing it. Support from some will be nearly impossible, because they do not believe in change or extra participation on their part. Some expect everything to be the way it has been for years with no change or alterations. So the issue is will the teachers that smoke daily support the act in banning smoking. They are going to have to completely change their schedule and also change the distance they will have to travel, can they do it? Also if the rule does get passed, will the professors stay at the college or will they try to find work somewhere else where they continue on with their daily habits. Although smoking does have negative effects on everyone, some are too stubborn to care about anyone but themselves. Not everyone will be up for the challenge to see a change for the better, but maybe if enough teachers get involved they can help sway the attitudes of those who are not supportive. Every vote and initiative received will help turn the campus around.

Education

Educating students and faculty will be another key issue to see UTC become a “Smoke Free” campus. Health hazards like smoking for just a few years can cause permanent damage to many parts of the body like the lungs, heart, eyes, throat, digestive tract, bones, joints and the skin (Binkowski. 2003). Smoking affects other through passive smoke. When someone smokes and all the toxins are released in air, others that breathe in the air suffer form secondhand smoke. Being around others who smoke can cause health problems. These problems can be just as dangerous as the problems that come from those who actually smoke. Smokers need to understand that they are not only hurting themselves but they are also hurting others in the process. Environmental tobacco smoke, ETS, is both mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Mainstream being the actual smoke exhaled and sidestream being the smoke released from puff or the cigarette itself. ETS can cause many problems for nonsmokers that inhale it. A 20% increase in lung cancer for nonsmokers comes up when ETS is around. Based on an article by Melinda Oberleinter in Gale Encyclopedia of cancer, ETS is also linked to other serious cancers. It has been classified as a Group A Carcinogen, which is a group of the mostly deadly-cancers. In nonsmokers alone, secondhand smoke causes around 50,000 deaths in adults each year. If not careful, people could begin killing their friends and not even realize they are until it is too late. When friends start to pressure others into smoking it only takes a few weeks before someone can become addicted and the number of smokers start to rise. Cancer being such a big risk of smoking, stats show that many different types can develop. Statistics like 38% of men and 23% of women die from cancer deaths related to smoking (Brown & Odle. 2006). If the significance of smoking on the body and the environment can spread among students and faculty, a change could begin to occur. The campus is not maximizing its greatest potential to being a healthy and successful area, when smoking is occurring. Of all the health issues that can be discussed and reviewed and banned, smoking is only the most prevalent problems and most wide spread discussion. Ultimately all that needs to happen is UTC needs to get a grip on the students and faculty and buckle down and make this happen, because if change does not occur creating a healthy environment is going to become impossible.

If a healthy environment is created for all of the students and faculty then gains can be made academically, mentally, and personally. People are starting to become aware of the dangers involved with smoking, and college campuses all over the world are trying to make efforts to change the environment for students.

The American College Health Association (ACHA) and American Cancer Society (ACS) advocate that colleges ban smoking in all campus buildings and residence halls; prohibit the sale, sampling, and advertising of tobacco products; restrict smoking to a minimum of 20 feet from building entrances and air intake units; limit or prohibit spit tobacco use on campus; and implement tobacco prevention/education and cessation programs on campus (Borders. 2005).

The ACHA and ACS have a good point in understanding and recognizing that campuses across the world need to get back control of the health issues that are playing such a negative role in grades, students’ lives, and most importantly their health. According to TTAC, those who smoke have lower grade point averages then those who are not smokers. Performance of the students is lowered thus also lowering academic scores in the college. Smoking can become an impairment issue, and alter with the process of thinking. With smoking being such a controllable issue and preventable habit, too many young people are beginning to start themselves. Everyone could potentially benefit from this change if it takes place the correct way and with the help of everyone. Schools can not just expect everything to change overnight, it takes work and organization and planning to figure out what exactly needs to be done for the most influential gains to be made. One way to do this is to look at other campuses and businesses that have incorporated “Smoke Free” facilities into their mission and rulebook. Getting feedback and information these schools on how they approached the situation can be a good starting point for other colleges and universities. The second way to do this is to look at what policies are already in place and determine whether they are effective or not. They need to look at the rules and see which are being enforced and what actions are being taken for those who break the rules. Once the previous rules are reviewed and discussed, then the decision has to be made what will be next in making the campus healthier for everyone. Potentially the greatest way to see the most positive gains will be to eliminate smoking completely. If smoking is still permitted in certain areas on campus, the elimination factor of the toxins in the air is not met. Students who walk by these designated areas will still breathe in the fumes from the cigarette thus defeating the purpose of a “Smoke Free” campus. It has to be an all-or-none principle to see the positive effects. Banning smoking from the sidewalks, outside buildings, cars located on the property, and local stores around the campus will help create this healthy environment. If students and teachers can feel healthy and safe when they walk to class the goal is being reached. Breathing in fresh air and clean air is what every public place school, workplace, bar or restaurant should be able to offer their community.

Conclusion

Making the campus the most successful and healthy environment it can be will be the end result of a “Smoke Free” campus. A lot of change has to be made to reach the full potential of the school and those involved in it. Every opportunity the university has should be used to focus on eliminating these controllable issues. If smoking is affecting students’ grades and performance levels, then immediately the administration and faculty should be working around the clock to find a way to make everyone happy and improve scores and test results. Banning smoking from the campus is definitely one of the biggest steps to seeing improvement in the environment. Although there is probably no way of altering those decisions of students and teachers outside the campus, what little bit of change that can be controlled the better. It is the campus as a whole that is important. For students to get the upmost respect from their teachers and peers, they need to give that respect. If eliminating the use of tobacco on campus is done, then students and faculty outlooks will change. Walking through campus and not seeing someone smoking where they have to walk the other direction or inhaling the smoke from the cigarettes being smoked outside the building will please the majority of students. There will still be those who believe that smoking should be permitted and will find ways to make it acceptable in certain areas that are convenient for them. If smoking is controlled on campus, the next step is to get the entire community involved if not already been done. The community has just as big effect on the university as the students, faculty and staff that make it up. Getting the community to help promote a healthy lifestyle and getting rid of smoking, will help everyone realize that it does truly affect everyone that they come in contact with.

The Mission statement for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is an engaged, metropolitan university committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service, and dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of the region through strategic partnerships and community involvement. The core values include preparing for the future, education and engagement, and positive institutional environment. UTC wants to produce leaders, professionals, and responsible citizens and creating the opportunity for knowledge and a higher quality of life. Also partnerships are to be built with the community to help develop meaningful involvement in educational and economic areas. It is going to take a respectful and professional environment from many different people to see the greatest achievement. The Department of Health and Human Performance Mission statement also follows along with the mission statement of the college. HHP wants to educate students, conduct research, and provide service for activity, nutrition and health promotion. The purpose is to improve the overall quality of life. If UTC became a “Smoke Free” campus, both mission statements would be met. The University itself wants to see that the community and the individuals on campus are working together to making the area the healthiest and most successful spot it can be. It is going to take everyone to make this process right. The Department of Health and Human Performance plans to engage the university and the community as well to enhance health and quality of life. A healthy environment is listed in both mission statements to help make the school and program enjoyable and successful. Smoking would be considered a factor in the environment with all of the disease, cancers, and issues that follow along with it. Smoking also destroys the quality of life, which is the end result in both of these mission statements. If the quality of life is not at its highest peak then maximal performance will not be reached. Preventable health issues should not a dominant problem worldwide. If smoking is the number one leading cause of preventable death, then we should be trying to take the first steps into improving this statistic. The majority of people, who smoke, started when they were young or when they got college. It is not impossible to quit, although it will take some work if the university and the community work together, then the broad diversity of people can help strengthen the institution just like the mission has hope for. Since smoking is one of the most negative aspects of UTC right now, we all need to be doing research and finding ways to put policies and rules into action. If UTC should become a “Smoke Free” campus the benefits and results would allow for healthy campuses and lives. It only takes a little bit of knowledge and understanding, but a lot of desire to make this happen. Involving everyone is what it takes to get the greatest results. A “Smoke Free” campus could be summarized as a university that practices healthy habits and lifestyles. Showing and dominating the campus from a non smoking outlook, will be the beginning of the turning of heads at other universities. UTC can be a forefront for students to continue promoting healthy lifestyles in their own workplaces, homes and in their future careers. If they have the opportunity to witness the positive results there will be no doubt that they will want to continue on with the success.