Tobacco Use on Campus Examined

St. Olaf may be a dry campus, but it is certainly not to- bacco-free. It is not uncommon to walk out of Buntrock Commons and bump into several students smoking on sur- rounding benches or just outside of the doors. This occurs outside of the entrance to dorms as well, and the phenom- enon is not limited to cigarettes. Students also use pipes, hookahs and cigars. The fact that some students on campus smoke does not mean that St. Olaf is experiencing a tobacco-addiction epi- demic. However, the amount of tobacco use on campus gave students Miriam Brown ’12 and Juliette Gibes ’14 enough cause to present a documentary entitled “Tobacco: The Un- filtered Truth” in Viking Theater on Tuesday, March 27. By doing so, they sought to educate students about the hard- ships of tobacco addiction and quitting.

Teen Smoking Truth

Millions of teens smoke cigarettes every day, some start smoking as early as 11 years old. Why has teen smoking become a huge problem, why has there become such an increase in smoking? Statistics state that over 8,000 teens started smoking or had their first cigarette by the age of 13, while 3 million teens start smoking by the age of 16. Teens that smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol. 8 times more likely to smoke pot, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine, while 6 million teens continue to smoke even though they know the risks. A 2001 survey showed that 69.4% of teens smokers reported never being asked proof of age to buy cigarettes and 62.4% of teens being able to buy cigarettes even though the retailer knew they were under age.

Brazil Prohibits Smoking in Public Places

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has signed a law banning smoking tax free Bond cigarettes in public spaces. Smoking in all enclosed public spaces is forbidden in the new law, reported Xinhua. It also prohibits tobacco advertising such as posters or banners at sale places. Previously the ban was only imposed on TV, radio and billboards advertising. In addition, the law increases the taxes and establishes minimum prices over the tobacco products to discourage buyers. Cigarettes prices are expected to increase 20 percent in 2012 and 55 percent by 2015.Health warnings are also required on both sides of cigarette packs to alert consumers about the consequences of their smoking habit.

Smoking Ban in Parks

The Board of Clark County Commissioners on Wednesday indicated they will not support a ban on smoking in county parks. The Vancouver City Council voted in December to ban all smoking and tobacco use in city parks and recreation centers. The three county commissioners, however, said during a work session that they like a 2005 policy that declared outdoor recreation sites as voluntary tobacco-free zones. Signs are posted at designated areas — such as playgrounds and restrooms — but there’s no penalty for lighting up. Pete Mayer, director of Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation, said the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission recommended a smoking ban in 2010.

Outdoor Smoking and Tobacco Urge

Naomi Ohayon, a 52-year-old mother of four, smoked for over 30 years until she quit the habit — hopefully for good — a month ago. “I’d tried just about every stop-smoking discount Esse cigarettes program out there,” Ohayon said from her home in the southern city of Beersheva. “Once, I quit for three days, the other times I couldn’t stop at all.” Ohayon, who has asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), said she became increasingly motivated to kick the habit as her health deteriorated. “I couldn’t breathe. It was difficult to sleep. I desperately wanted to quit but I was addicted. But my oldest son begged me to quit, over and over, so I kept trying,” she said.

Indiana Smoking Ban Law

Some Indiana legislators are expected to push for exempting bars and certain other locations from a bill calling for a broad statewide smoking ban. Proposed amendments to the bill could face debate as soon as Thursday afternoon in the Indiana House. As the bill now stands, it would prohibit smoking in most public places and workplaces, including bars. The proposal would allow smoking only on the gambling floors of casinos, fraternal and veterans clubs, cigar and hookah bars and retail tobacco shops. Legislators have also filed amendments that would allow more smoking areas at casinos and horse tracks. The House last year approved a smoking ban bill that included an exemption for bars but it failed later after health advocates argued it would be one of the nation's weakest bans.

Miami-Dade Parks Smoke-Free

The Miami-Dade parks department wants to stop people from smoking tax free Beverly cigarettes at more than 40 county parks that attract large numbers of kids. The county has put up sign at the parks, and since Jan. 11, county workers have been told to ask smokers not to light up. But because of a 1985 state law, all the county can do is ask. The Florida Clean Indoor Air Act says that counties can’t ban smoking outdoors. Since the new rules are just a policy and not a law, county commissioners did not sign off on the action, a parks spokeswoman said. For now, the ban covers only certain parks that attract numerous kids, or about 20 percent of the county’s 195 parks. Although the policy will not be enforced, signs encouraging park-goers not to smoke were installed as early as the beginning of last summer. Universities such as Florida International University and the University of Florida recently banned outdoor smoking on campus. The state smoking law prohibits counties from regulating outdoor smoking, but it doesn’t say anything about universities. FIU issues tickets to students or visitors who are caught smoking, even in a car parked in a campus garage.