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From left, Armstrong Atlantic State University students Helen
Lowes, Elizabeth Ross and Tammy Cole. |
"Our policy sends the message that not only do we practice what we preach,
but that we recognize the importance of providing a healthy environment for
all of the students, residents, faculty, staff and guests at Morehouse,"
said Nicolle Martin, M.D., M.P.H., faculty member at Morehouse School of
Medicine.
According to the 2012 U.S.
Surgeon General's Report "Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young
Adults", 99 percent of all tobacco use starts by the age of 26.
This is due to social,
environmental and physical influences as well as tobacco company advertising
and promotional activities targeting youth and young adults. The adverse
health effects of smoking are immediate including addiction and acceleration
of development of chronic diseases across the course of life.
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Morehouse School of Medicine |
To reduce tobacco use and to
eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke among young adults, the Georgia
Tobacco Use Prevention Program (GTUPP) encourages all Georgia colleges and
universities to adopt tobacco-free policies that prohibit the use of all
forms of tobacco on campus, to conduct education campaigns and to promote
tobacco use cessation by prompting tobacco users to call the Georgia Tobacco
Quit Line. Nationally, these evidence-based strategies have long shown to
increase quit attempts and to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
Currently 20 out of 128
Georgia public and private institutions of higher learning have adopted
tobacco-free campus policies, protecting over 119,000 students from the
dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke while promoting tobacco use
cessation. College campuses that have recently adopted tobacco-free policies
in Georgia include Emory University, Shorter University, Armstrong Atlantic
State University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Oglethorpe University and
Georgia State University.
"I think the signs are good
because it's a constant reminder that smoking is not accepted on campus and
that we should respect that," said Sidney Wilson, a sophomore at Emory,
regarding the tobacco free signs on campus.
Armstrong Atlantic State University student Elizabeth Ross also appreciates
her school's tobacco-free policy.
"Since the tobacco free
policy, I would like to say that I rather do enjoy the air around campus
now. It comes easier for me to breathe without smoke in my face. I
appreciate the policy." Ross said.
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Tobacco-free signs on Emory University's campus.
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In Georgia, 240,000 young adults, ages 18 to 24, smoke cigarettes. This is
the largest smoking prevalence (25 percent) among any age group and slightly
higher than the nation's prevalence of 24 percent. About 29 percent
(140,000) of male young adults smoke cigarettes while 21 percent (95,000) of
female young adults smoke cigarettes. Substantially more young adults, 13
percent (125,000) smoke cigars and/or cigarillos, and 21 percent (200,000)
have tried smoking tobacco in a hookah/water pipe as compared to those ages
25 and older. More young adult smokers have asthma (21 percent; 50,000) as
compared to non-smokers (6 percent; 45,000).
According to the 2012 Surgeon
General's Report, "People who smoke don't have to wait for tobacco use to
damage their health. There are more than 7,000 chemicals and chemical
compounds in cigarette smoke, many of which are toxic. These chemicals can
cause immediate damage to the human body. Even young adults under the age of
30 who started smoking in their teens and early twenties can develop
smoking-related health problems, such as early cardiovascular disease,
smaller lungs that do not function normally, wheezing that can lead to the
diagnosis of asthma, and DNA damage that can cause cancer almost anywhere in
the body. On average lifelong smokers get sicker and die younger than
nonsmokers. These smokers die an average 13 years sooner."
The same report finds that
"Although cigarette smoking among adolescents and young adults declined from
the late 1990's, this decline slowed in recent years for cigarette smoking
and stalled for smokeless tobacco and cigar use."
Furthermore, in Georgia, 43
percent of young adults are exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace and
42 percent are exposed in public places, such as stores, restaurants, bars,
clubs and sports arenas. According to the 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's
Report, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Breathing a
little secondhand smoke can be dangerous, as secondhand smoke contains more
than 4,000 chemicals. Many of these chemicals are toxic and cause heart
disease and cancer.
For information on how to promote a model 100% tobacco-free college campus,
contact Glykeria Hadjisimos, MPH at
glhadjisimos@dhr.state.ga.us
or (404) 657-6515. To access cessation counseling, tobacco users are
encouraged to call the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-270-STOP (7867) or
visit
http://www.livehealthygeorgia.org/quitLine/.
For additional information about tobacco use among young adults and
evidence-based strategies that reduce tobacco use, visit
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/index.html.
Live Healthy Georgia and enjoy a tobacco-free lifestyle!
-Story by Program
Consultant Glykeria Hadjisimos, DPH Tobacco Use Prevention Program
