This letter is in response to "Use technology to fix public smoking issues" (Sept. 17). The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has studied air ventilation systems that allow indoor smoking and found that ventilation is not an effective solution to reduce tobacco smoke-related dangers. In 2005, the group stated, "[a]t present, the only means of effectively eliminating health risks associated with indoor exposure [to smoke] is to ban smoking activity." With the present technology, there is no way to remove the Class A carcinogens (cancer causing pollutants) from the air.

Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency and other groups, there have been many studies examining the effects of secondhand smoke. Contrary to what Mr. Laprade stated, secondhand smoke does have many detrimental health effects including 3,000 lung cancer deaths a year, a variety of respiratory diseases including asthma, premature births, SIDS, and other diseases. According to the American Lung Association, "secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide."

The only way to fix public smoking issues is by law. In a 2007 Pulse Survey of Penn State students conducted by Project SmokeLess, nonsmokers made up 72 percent of the student population.

Joe Schwork

Project SmokeLess

senior-information sciences and technology