As a student highly concerned with campus and national health, the editorial in last Thursday's Collegian, "Regulating tobacco ads hurts speech protection," caught my eye.

The editorial argued that all tobacco advertising — even that which is placed within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds — should be Constitutionally protected, provided that the advertisement is truthful.

Although this argument is legitimate, it is debatable.

The reasoning provided for this belief was highly flawed.

The editorial reads, "advertising [that] targets children does not warrant such a ban, because specific measures ... have already been taken to shield children. Additional measures are unnecessary ..."

Such a statement is blatantly ignorant of the magnitude of the tobacco problem in America.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Regardless, more than one million children become regular smokers each year, according to the Surgeon General's report on tobacco use. Advertising is one of the key factors influencing these minors to adopt the habit, according to the same report.

While I respect The Daily Collegian for its decision to stand up for the precious freedom of speech, I encourage them to start standing up for those individuals who die for their weakness in resisting the mind control this freedom allows.

The solution to the tobacco problem may not require the denial of the freedom of speech, but it requires that we all acknowledge that the battle is far from over and, contrary to what the Collegian would have you believe, additional measures are not unnecessary.