Newspapers / Wilkes Community College Student … / May 1, 2007, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page 4 Cougar Cry Majority of WCC Students Do Not Use Tobacco Pop Quiz: How many WCC Students use tobacco products? If you said the majority do so, try again. During the 2006 Fall Semester over 223 Wilkes Community College Students completed a tobacco use and opinion survey in their ACA classes on all three campuses. Cathy Annas, WCC Tobacco Use Prevention Coordinator, states, "Tobacco use among WCC students is not as prevalent as one might think. The recent survey data shows that 71% of the students do not use tobacco products.” She provides additional results from the student surveys which indicate the following: ♦71% are bothered by smelling and breathing secondhand smoke. ♦91% believe secondhand smoke is harmful to ones health. ♦72% would be willing to support stricter policies to create a more smoke-free campus environment. ♦69% would prefer a smoke-free campus where no tobacco was allowed. In 2006 the former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona issued a comprehensive scientific report which concludes that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke exposure can cause heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory problems. ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children, the report finds. "The health effects of secondhand smoke exposure are more pervasive than we previously thought. 'The scientific evidence is now indisputable: secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults.” said Surgeon General Carmona. Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals and is itself a known human carcinogen. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer, the report says.. The report also finds that even the most sophisticated ventilation systems cannot completely eliminate secondhand smoke exposure and that only smoke-free environments afford full protection. The good news is that, unlike some public health hazards, secondhand smoke exposure is easily prevented,” Surgeon General Carmona Another study of particulate matter, or the toxins in secondhand smoke, found that outdoor areas where smoking was allowed had particulate matter concentrations nearly eight to ten times that of a busy highway. (Source: Boffi, R.; Ruprecht, A.; Mazza, R.; Ketzel, M.; Invemizzi, G.,"A day at the European Respiratory Society Congress: passive smoking influences both outdoor and indoor air quality,” European Respiratory Journal 27(4): 862-863, April 2006.) In order to provide a safe and healthy environment for students, employees, and visitors a revised tobacco use policy was recently adopted at WCC which includes limiting smoking to only designated areas. Signs are posted throughout campus. During the 2007 Summer and Fall Semesters, there will be activities designed to promote these changes. For those who may be interested in quitting tobacco use, contact Cathy Annas, 838-6462, WCC Tobacco Use Prevention Coordinator, for a Quit Kit and/or to enroll in free cessation classes on campus. Individuals can also call the Quitline NC at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to access trained tobacco cessation coaches 7 days a week, 8:00AM until midnight. JPYOUR vM RAiUAf ION APPAREL TODAY. yJBr Phi theta kappa .C$ AND TASSELS MAY BE PICKED UP AT THIS TIME. ' Back UOUffiS May^ppnid 9a.tif Ma 9 a.m. - 3 jS'.m. 2 p.m - 9 p.m. ' y Degree Frames Burgundy ft/Iatte with Gold Embossed College Seal And Wilkes Community College Etched on the bottom $75.00 « Pre-Order your graduation viCB>e today VHS $ 10.00 ^DVD $ 15.00 0X0 Graduation Invitations $4.95 for a pack of five Or $1.00 Each Don't Forget Name Cards . 15C for a sheet of ten
Wilkes Community College Student Newspaper
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May 1, 2007, edition 1
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