Team Masterminds
University of South Floridas Going Green Movement A case on banning smoking
A White Paper
Professional Writing
ENC 3250
Dr. Francis Tobienne
Jessica Dison
Priscilla Plange
Justin Phillip
Taylor Bonnell
Brandon Biglin
March 31, 2015
Table of Contents Group cover page
Title page
Executive Summary
Introduction
Body/ Background
Conclusion
Works Cited
Annotated Bibliography
Glossary of Terms
Executive Summary
The University of South Florida has recently become not only a tobacco free campus, but
an entirely smoke--free campus. Walking through the campus, it is nearly impossible for students
and faculty alike to miss the Take a big breath, smoke free campus signs. We feel that this is a
positive emphasis on the movement that the campus has made towards becoming more
environmentally friendly and green. Finally, team master minds will conduct in depth research,
interviews, and analyze our findings to make our going green project a success.
Introduction
The University of South Florida has
been taking the appropriate steps to become
an exemplary pillar of the going green
movement for quite some time. The St.
Petersburg campus has solar panels on
picnic tables outside as well as in the
parking garage, manual treadmills in the
gym that produce energy that goes back into
the school, and even placed filtered water
stations for students and faculty to fill up
their previously--used bottles instead of
using multiples as the day progresses. The
main area of focus for this research paper is
the somewhat recent ban of on--campus
smoking. This also applies to electronic
cigarettes. When walking on campus, on
may effortlessly notice several signs which
state that the campus does not allow
smoking on the school premises. The
following research and interviews will focus
on the reasons for the school making the
decision to become smoke--free and why
this is a positive change for all those
involved.
Smoking was an extremely popular
trend in America during the early 20th
century. During this time, people smoked
everywhere -- at home, in the workplace, in
restaurants, and more. During this time
period, it was not rude or unhealthy to do
such a thing. It was widely accepted within
the culture and seen as a normal aspect of
society. Ads placed at this time made men
and women feel as though smoking was the
not only accepted but necessary to their lives
- it was a good thing.
The above image is an old Lucky Strike ad
from the 1920s. The small print states that
these cigarettes are completely free of
impurities and that they help this woman
keep her figure trim. This lucky girl did
not realize at the time that these cigarettes
were taking her down an extremely unlucky
path. Contrary to this original belief,
extensive research has been done over the
past 100 years, and more and more negative
side effects from smoking are being
discovered. From cancer to chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, cigarettes
have become the enemy. Research has come
a long way in learning that smoking is now
one of the number one killers of those both
directly involved and indirectly involved.
The University of South Florida, as
well as many other institutions, feels that the
results of the research within this field
should not be taken lightly. The research
done specifically for this going green project
has led to the finding of a plethora of articles
that have reported on the benefits and
outcomes of schools that strongly believe
that the ban on smoking is important.
While there are many that support this
movement, there are also many who believe
that banning smoking is a direct insult to the
American people in the form of a violation
of human rights. While smoking is legal, it
is time to look at whether or not that is a
safe and appropriate decision for this day
and age. Should smoking be made illegal
due to the new research showing the high
amount of negative effects it can have on
people and the planet? This paper discusses
the health hazards due to the exposure to
smoke, why a ban on smoking is important
for our campus, how and why the decisions
of campuses going green have grown, and
the need to provide an education concerning,
as well as policies preventing, tobacco use.
Background
In recent research, it was found that
several other campuses around the world
have also begun the no smoking on
campus campaign. An article by the
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights states
that as of January 1, 2015, there are already
1,514 college campuses that have banned
smoking 100%. 1,014 of these campuses are
tobacco free, and 587 of them do not even
allow the use of electronic cigarettes any-
where on campus. (Colleges and
Universities, 2015) This resource expects
that the number of universities and colleges
will continue to follow this new movement
due to the support of many members of the
campus communities. Another reason
behind the thought that smoking will
continue to become less of a trend is the fact
that smoking is not currently considered as
much of a social norm as it used to be.
Social norms are constantly
evolving with the passage of time and
changes to the beliefs of society. Years ago,
it was socially acceptable, a norm, to
allow your 10 year old child to walk to the
market or a friends house entirely on their
own. Now, our society is more cautious and
would not consider that particular action as
socially acceptable or responsible in the
world we live in today. Similar to this
example, smoking is becoming less and less
of a social norm compared to what it was
in the early 20th century. An article written
by George Arnett and Glenn Moutrie for the
thegaurdian.com states that by businesses
and universities choosing to ban smoking,
smokers will have to go to greater lengths to
be able to smoke when they are on the
premises. (Arnett et al, 2014) If a student
gets the urge to smoke in the middle of
class, they cannot simply go outside of the
building. On the USFSP campus for
example, they will have to walk to a
privately owned coffee shop or off of the
campus entirely. This is a lot less likely to
happen because it will take longer than
anticipated and the student will realize at
that moment that it may not be worth the
hassle. This is the process of
de-normalizing smoking. This will
potentially cause students to smoke much
less while on school grounds. In this same
article, a study done by Sally Davies shows
that younger people between the ages of 10
to 15 have begun to think of smoking as
something bad than in recent years. (See
Figure 1)
Figure 1
This shows that the research done to prove
that smoking is a health risk has had an
effect on the way people teach their children
about smoking. (Arnett et al, 2014)
CVS has recently become a member
of the movement in helping to create the
new social norm with their Lets quit
together campaign.
Many of their signs also say We quit
tobacco. This type of advertisement makes
CVS customers feel as though they are in
this together. Where they used to sell
cigarettes behind the counter, they are now
selling patches, gum, and giving out
information pamphlets that will help people
quit smoking. While some might think this
is a foolish business move on their part,
CVS has actually benefitted greatly by
earning the respect of the community and
expanding their customer base due to their
strong stand for smoking prevention.
(Abrams, 2014)
These articles state the somewhat
obvious, yet very important, pros and cons
of banning smoking in public places. While
everyone, especially scientists, is very aware
that smoking is dangerous, it is legal. This
makes it very hard or quite even impossible
for anyone to ban it or make it illegal
anywhere. If small, privately owned places
of business chose to ban smoking, they run
the risk of losing a significant portion of
their customers, and in the worst cases,
being forced out of their respective markets.
Also, by banning parents or grandparents to
smoke publicly, it will cause them to smoke
privately and harm their children or other
family members by exposing them more
frequently to secondhand smoke.
On the other hand, the ban of
smoking has many positive impacts. One, it
will mean less litter to pick up. When people
are driving, socializing, or doing anything
they dont want to be interrupted during,
they will often throw the butt of their
cigarette on the ground. Beaches are
one of the most abused places for this to
happen. People will often dig the cigarettes
under the sand or throw them into the ocean.
Two, it will continue the renormalization of
smoking. Slowly, people are becoming more
aware of smoking and it is looked at more
negatively now than in past years. It is
slowly becoming less normal for younger
people or people of any age to smoke. The
ban of smoking could cause a downward
spiral in the number of people that
participate in this behavior. For the final
point, the research has clearly determined
that smoking in open spaces is still harmful
to others. We all know that second hand
smoking is very harmful in many cases,
more harmful the firsthand. All three of the
points make a strong argument for smoking
to be banned or at least in certain areas or
businesses.
On the other side of the scale,
banning smoking in public places would
most likely cause people to adapt. It would
not be considered a social activity. Matter of
fact, if one wanted to smoke, they would
have to get up and leave their friends in
order to do so. This would cause many to go
out to smoke much less, therefore, helping
them slowly begin the road to not smoking
as much or even quitting.
Because this research is based
specifically on the students and faculty of
the University of South Florida, it was
appropriate and necessary to complete
interviews with students who are on campus
often. These interviews allowed the research
being done here to grow and focus on what
these students complaints were. The
interview style used was unguided and open
with a technique known as silent probing in
order to let the interviewees feel as though
they were being heard allowing them to say
was on their minds. By simply asking the
following three students one question,
What are your feelings about smoking on
campus and the recent ban placed to end
it?, each student had something to say.
These students wish to stay anonymous in
their last names, but are allowing their first
names to be exposed. The first student
interviewed, Melissa, stated I feel like the
ban was definitely necessary. Every time I
walk out of a class, there is a large group of
kids smoking right at the door. Its like they
dont notice that its rude or they just dont
care. She also stated that I can see why
smokers would be mad because smoking is
legal, but it is a very unhealthy hobby. They
have to understand that we are helping them
as well as all the other students around that
have to deal with the constant second hand
smoke. And honestly, they havent really
suffered that much from to the ban because
they can still smoke at all the coffee shops
and The Tavern. The second student
interviewed, Ann Marie, agreed with
Melissa in the sense that the ban was
necessary and good, but had a different view
on it. She stated, Why should my health
have to suffer because some kids think its
cool to smoke outside of Davis between
every class. Its just annoying. We have a
large hipster/coffee shop student population
and they all tend to smoke a lot. And they
definitely dont stay just at the Tavern or the
Grind. There is no way to really enforce it
though because that would be awkward.
The third student interviewed, Drew, had a
very differing opinion from the first two
students. He stated, I am a smoker and I
like smoking on my break and grabbing a
cup of coffee or a beer. If people dont like
that they can go stand somewhere else.
When I asked Drew if he understood the
health effects of smoking, not just on him
but on the people around him, he replied,
Again, if they dont want to be around it or
are scared of what it might do to them, they
can go somewhere else. Another subject of
an interview, Devon, lives on campus and is
exposed to the effects of the campus
smoking policies quite often. When asked
her opinion on the subject, she responded
with the following: Very rarely do I have to
walk through clouds of smoke. I never do.
When asked about her knowledge of the
risks of secondhand smoke, she responded
by saying, I know that its more dangerous
than first hand smoke. The policies make
being on campus less hazardous to my
health and I appreciate that.
The health of students and faculty is
being compromised because of the choices
smokers are making. After reading an article
by the American Cancer Society, allowing
smoking on campus does not seem fair to
the large number of students who have to
constantly breathe in secondhand smoke
(SHS). While everybody has the right to
make decisions for themselves, people who
are victim to secondhand smoke are not
making that decision. They are just dealing
with circumstances they are in due to
decisions made by others around them. The
American Cancer Society states that
"Secondhand smoke is classified as a
known human carcinogen (cancer-
-causing agent) by the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the US National
Toxicology Program, and the International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC a
branch of the World Health Organization)."
(Secondhand Smoke, 2014) They also
state that secondhand smoke (SHS) has two
forms of smoke that burn from the tobacco:
side stream smoke which comes from the
lighted end of the cigarette and mainstream
smoke which is the smoke exhaled by the
smoker. The sidestream smoke is the worst,
which is what people who are just walking
by someone smoking would breathe in. The
American cancer society website also states
that SHS can cause diseases other than
cancer. Some of these include breast cancer,
asthma, heart disease, and respiratory tract
infections, and much more. (Secondhand
smoke, 2014)
Another article, provided by the
CDC, touches upon the risks of secondhand
smoke. For a long time, it was thought that
the only person at risk when smoking was
the individual directly participating in the
act. This has since changed and it is
important to know the facts about second
and third hand smoke. This article provides
the facts and highlights the risks to a
person's health if they are exposed to
secondhand smoke. It provides the
justification for non--smoking regulations.
One of the statistics provided by the CDC is
that since 1964, 2.5 million adults who were
not smokers died due to secondhand smoke.
Also, secondhand smoke is the third leading
cause of preventable death, according to the
Manitoba medical association. It has been
linked to heart and respiratory disease, lung,
breast, cervical and nasal sinus cancers. In
children, secondhand smoke dangers can
include: sudden infant death syndrome, fetal
growth impairment, bronchitis, asthma, and
middle ear disease. One of the articles talks
about if smoking in public places is banned,
it might help people stop smoking all
together, and a ban could increase people
going out because nonsmokers would be
more comfortable, but nonsmokers
outnumber smokers on a 3:1 ratio.
While smoking (especially
secondhand smoke) is a large issue for
students on campus as well as people
everywhere, there is also research that
shows what a large negative impact this
hobby can have on the environment.
According to Oxygen.org.au, smoking
pollutes the air, destroys forests, starts
brushfires, kills marine creatures, and much
more. ("Tobacco and the Environment",
2014) While tobacco and toxins are very
damaging to the environment, people often
forget the amount of paper cigarette
manufacturers use on a daily basis. This
causes a large impact on trees which are
already being harmed by air pollutants.
The decision made by the University
of South Florida St Petersburg to prohibit
students from smoking, will not only aid in
better health and a cleaner environment, but
it is also proven to aid in the academic
performance of students. A trusted source,
Ttac.org, states that smokers have a lower
grade point average (GPA) than non-
-smokers. (The Negative Effects of
Tobacco Use, ttac.) Lower individual
performance among students is due to
problems with blood flows to the brain or
escape of blood into the brain tissue. With
this knowledge in mind, one would think
that all schools would be banning smoking.
Conclusion (Solution)
In 2009, USFs Tampa campus
College of Public Health went tobacco free.
While it was not the entire campus, it was
still motivating to many in the fact that if the
small ban in the health department went
well, it could be a successful movement for
the entire campus.
The University of Florida then went
tobacco free in 2011, and shortly after that,
Florida Atlantic University followed. In
order to take control of the situation, the
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
officially chose to go 100% tobacco free in
2012, though they have been trying to get it
passed and approved since 2007.
(Alexander, 2011) From the number of
schools that have chosen to go this direction,
this seems to be the solution to starting a
trend around America as well as beginning
to bring health back into numerous systems
and institutions and ban smoking for good.
While there are still many students
on campus that are against this movement,
Conway stated that she is hoping peer
pressure will do the trick. While the school
has gone 100% tobacco free, it is still having
some issues with privately owned places like
The Grind and The Tavern continuing to
allow smoking on campus. With the St.
Petersburg campus being rather small and
two of its main shops still allowing
smoking, students who are anti--smoking
sometimes complain that it doesnt seem to
have gone away. While this is true, there is
only so much the university is able to do
since both places are privately owned,
making them exempt from the campus--wide
smoking policy. (Alexander, 2011)
The University of South Florida is on
its way to protecting its students form a
serious health hazard. Not only does
smoking cause a number of health issues
later in life including cancer, asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and
more, but it has a very negative effect on the
planet. Smoking is a hobby, but a hobby that
can kill. This is why many universities,
businesses, institutions, homes, and more
now have the right to make this decision.
As science and medicine continue to
grow, more and more research is revealed
about the true dangers of smoking. This day
in age, more studies seem to show that our
generation is beginning to see that smoking
is not a hobby, it is a death sentence. Places
like the University of South Florida and
CVS are striving to make this movement a
success. While some disagree, a large
number of students and employees believe
these two corporations have the right idea.
CVS says Lets quit together while USF
states that they hope students will keep one
another accountable. USF admits that the
solution to this problem is not forcing
everyone to individually quit smoking in a
harsh manner.
While change is happening at
numerous college campuses as previously
stated, there is still transformation that needs
to be made. Science has proven the benefits
of banning smoking and how it easily
outweighs the negative effects it has on not
only humans, but the planet. The University
of South Florida has made successful strides
to make the campus better and safer for all
students and faculty.
Works Cited
Steinberg, Stephanie. "Colleges Tell Smokers, 'You're Not Welcome Here'"CNN. Cable News
Network, 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Brownson R, Eriksen M, Davis R, and Warner K. Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Health Effects and Policies to Reduce Exposure. Annual Review of Public Health. 18 (1997):163--85
Johnson, J.G.; Cohen, P.; Pine, D.S.; Klein, D.F.; Kasen, S.; & Brook, J.S. :The association between cigarette smoking and anxiety disorders during adolescence and early adulthood.
Journal of the American Medical Association 284(18):2348--2351, 2000.
Alexander.Aimee. Campus smoking ban takes effect January 2012. Crows Nest, Crows Nest, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2015.
Should Smoking Be Banned on All College Campuses? N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Borders, Tyrone F., et al. "College Campus Smoking Policies and Programs and Students'
Smoking Behaviors." BMC Public Health, 7 July 2005. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Philip Adam Harbison, Marilyn V. Whitman, (2008) "Barriers associated with implementing a
campuswide smokefree policy", Health Education, Vol. 108 Iss: 4, pp.321 -- 331
"Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National
Library of Medicine . U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"Colleges and Universities." Colleges and Universities . American Nonsmokers' Rights
Foundation, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Lucky Strike Poster. Digital image. Stanford School of Medicine, n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Abrams, Rachel. "CVS Stores Stop Selling All Tobacco Products." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 02 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.
Arnett, George, and Glen Moutrie. "Banning Smoking in Public Places Will Not Do Much
Harm." The Guardian 15 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 March 2015.
Anne Marie. Personal Interview. 29 Mar. 2015.
Drew. Personal Interview. 28 Mar. 2015.
Melissa. Personal Interview. 28 Mar. 2015.
"Renormalization." The Free Dictionary . Farlex. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"Safety and Health Topics | Carcinogens." Safety and Health Topics | Carcinogens . Web. 1 Apr.
2015.
"Secondhand Smoke." Www.cancer.org . American Cancer Society, 22 Dec. 2014. Web. 5 Mar.
2015.
"Secondhand Smoke." Secondhand Smoke . Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"Tobacco and the Environment." OxyGen.org.auu . OxyGeneration, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Jan.
2014.
"The negative effects of tobacco use." Www.ttac.org . College Tobacco Prevention Resource.
Web.
Annotated Bibliography
Brownson R, Eriksen M, Davis R, and Warner K. Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Health Effects and Policies to Reduce Exposure. Annual Review of Public Health. 18 (1997):163--85.
This article talks about the health hazards due to the exposure to smoke. The authors discuss
some of the common hazards such as cancer and bronchitis found in some non smokers. It also
mentions both the government and the private sector's efforts to restrict smoking in public
places. At the end of this study, researchers hope the restrictions will be enforced and kept as
well as smoking will be seen as a crime. By knowing these health hazards, many readers will
start seeing why the ban of smoking is so important.
Johnson, J.G.; Cohen, P.; Pine, D.S.; Klein, D.F.; Kasen, S.; & Brook, J.S. :The association between cigarette smoking and anxiety disorders during adolescence and early adulthood.
Journal of the American Medical Association 284(18):2348--2351, 2000.
In this article, the authors discuss how smoking may lead to anxiety disorders in adolescents and
young adults. This disease is the potentially damaging effects of nicotine on blood vessels to the
brain. The results of this study indicated that heavy smoking is correlated with anxiety disorders
during adolescence or early adulthood. However, it did not prove that heavy smoking as an adult
would or could contribute to any anxiety disorders. This is relevant to this white paper because
of the ages present on campuses. Most students are young adults and this study indicates that
those are the ones most affected.
Alexander.Aimee. Campus smoking ban takes effect January 2012. Crows Nest, Crows Nest, 22 Nov 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2015.
This article focuses on why a ban on smoking is important for USFSP, and why it is also
important to students. This article informatively states the reasoning behind U.S.F.S.Ps chosen transition as well as friendly alternatives for those who wish to smoke on campus. Some of these
suggestions indicates that if students desire to smoke on campus, they can smoke at The Tavern
or The Grind which are privately owned. This article relates to our research because it provides
relative, and relatable information it is so specific towards USFSP and its ban of on campus
smoking.
"Colleges and Universities." Colleges and Universities. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
This article gives great information on how many college campuses are smoke free and how
much this trend has grown. As of 2015, there are 1,514 smoke free campuses, and 1,104 are
100% tobacco free. 587 of them also prohibit the use of e--cigarettes. Smoke free campuses are becoming more and more prevalent because there is support from students to keep the campuses
health. The fact that 1,104 out of the 1,514 colleges are smoke free shows the growth school
authorities are making in having a healthy and positive atmosphere for learning. This information
is vital towards our research because it shows how our school has played a vital role in getting
smoking off campuses nationwide. It also shows some people that may doubt this transition that
there are many other campuses doing the same thing.
Should Smoking Be Banned on All College Campuses? N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
This article is an informative way for people to collaborate, or disagree collectively whether or
not smoking should or should not be banned from college campuses. Approximately 55 percent
of people agree that smoking should be banned from college campuses because first and second
hand smoke can cause health issues, from heart disease or lung cancer. The other 45 percent of
people agree with allowing college campuses to allow smoking, because they have the right too.
Those who also agree with smoking on campus should have well ventilated, designated areas for
smoker.
Borders, Tyrone F., et al. "College Campus Smoking Policies and Programs and Students'
Smoking Behaviors." BMC Public Health, 7 July 2005. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
This article discusses the need to provide an education concerning, as well as policies preventing,
tobacco use. This article was chosen because it highlights another aspect that has not yet been
implemented by the USFSP system and may be considered in the future. It discusses the need for
the affected public to be aware of the health benefits of such a regulation and the health risks of
preventing such regulations as those present on campus. This information is truly vital to the
research being done because wants to educate people to know the reasoning behind this
seemingly unfair new restriction.
Philip Adam Harbison, Marilyn V. Whitman, (2008) "Barriers associated with implementing a
campuswide smokefree policy", Health Education, Vol. 108 Iss: 4, pp.321 -- 331
This article discusses a case study in which students were asked to explore the barriers that may
be faced when attempting to put a smoking ban in effect on a college campus. Many of the points
they make are very relevant and should be explored in our research. The barriers that USFSP
faced individually when implementing their smoke--free campus regulations should be addressed in our project. By addressing these topics, the research shows that there are many
obstacles to hurdle before change can be made.
Steinberg, Stephanie. "Colleges Tell Smokers, 'You're Not Welcome Here'"CNN. Cable News
Network, 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Some campuses have taken the precautions of patrolling to prevent smokers. Smoking is one of
the leading causes of lung cancer and second--hand smoking is a close second. Tobacco--free Take Action! Volunteers approach smokers, respectfully ask them to dispose of the cigarettes
and provide information about quit--smoking resources available on campus. Smoke free campuses is a growing number and it is because it is very important to have a healthy life and to
lessen the causes of lung cancer and all other sort of harmful chemicals we inhale every hit.
Some campuses have also adopted a policy where if a student is found smoking they are given a
warning, but the second and third time is a $15 fine or two hours of picking up tobacco litter.
Any further violations result in probation or asked to leave the school grounds. This is our
generation and were making to healthy change by bringing the number of smokers down to a minimum.
Glossary of Terms
Carcinogen -- Agents that can cause cancer. In industry, there are many potential exposures to Carcinogens, workplace exposures are considered to be at higher level than for public exposures.
Second hand smoke -- a mixture of two forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease -- One of the most common lung diseases, there are two main forms of COPD, Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long term cough with mucus,
and Emphysema, which involves damage to the lungs over time.
Renormalization -- to bring into a normal or more normal state once again.
Sidestream Smoke: smoke that passes from a cigarette into the surrounding air, rather than into
the smokers lungs
Top Related