Tobacco usage and exposure may lead to one billion deaths by the end of the century unless dramatic efforts are made to curb tobacco use, according to a report released last week by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Members of Project SmokeLess, a student-run health advocacy group at Penn State, said they were not surprised by the findings in the report.
"That's tobacco for you," said Joe Schwork (junior-information sciences and technology). "It has been a killer since its inception."
Schwork hopes that the timing of the WHO report and the recently proposed Clean Air Act, which would prohibit any person from carrying a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other lighted smoking device in all public places, will urge Penn State to re-evaluate its policy.
In a "Big Ten Smoking Policy Comparison," Project SmokeLess placed Penn State last in the conference because of insufficient anti-smoking policies.
Project SmokeLess will also be doing its part to comply with the policies set forth by the WHO report.
"We have decided that we are turning more toward education," Stephanie Field (senior-psychology) said. "We will be setting up HUB and East Halls tables and reaching out more to the community."
The WHO report not only identifies the dangers of tobacco, but also offers solutions to overcome what it labeled the "tobacco epidemic." It proposes six "tobacco control policies" and calls on governments to adopt them.
"We hold in our hands the solution to the global epidemic that threatens the lives of one billion men, women and children during this century," Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, said in the report's introduction.
The policies identified in the report urge governments to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, offer help to quit tobacco use, warn about the dangers of tobacco, raise taxes on tobacco and enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
When used together, it is anticipated that these policies will protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, prevent young people from picking up the habit and help current smokers kick it, according to the report.
"For Penn State, we have to take steps to make this campus healthier," Schwork said. "It will cost a bunch of time, money and people, but hopefully, the WHO report will help us to move toward a healthier campus."
University Health Services (UHS) currently offers assistance to help those who want to quit smoking.
"We offer a smoking succession program to help students learn about how to quit smoking," said Linda LaSalle, community health educator for UHS. "Interested students can stop by UHS to find out more about this program." According to a spring 2007 Penn State Pulse survey of students, 65 percent of students support a smoke-free campus, and 72 percent of students do not smoke.
