Engl 200 Unit 2 Analysis
Benjamin Carter
Hannah Baker
ENGL 200
October 15, 2013
Unit 2 Essay
Many campuses have issues between smokers and non-smokers; Kansas State University does not escape this. Many people on campus are bothered by smoking and smokers. This has led to a call for further smoking restrictions. In 2010 Joshua Madden wrote an editorial in the Kansas State Collegian against more restrictions on smokers. In the article, Madden argues that further restrictions against smokers are unnecessary since the effects of secondhand smoke outdoors are negligible, since smoking is a lifestyle choice similar to eating fatty foods K-State should not regulate it, and smoking is limited enough at K-State to add further limits. Further restrictions on smoking on campus are necessary because outdoor secondhand smoke is still very harmful, unlike eating fatty foods, smoking effects the health of others, and the places one can smoke on campus are not truly restricted or enforced. In my opinion, Kansas State should define smoking areas, and move them away from high traffic areas. …show more content…
I dispute Madden’s claim that effects of outdoor secondhand smoke are insignificant.
Secondhand smoke, no matter indoor or outdoor, is very harmful. According to the EPA secondhand smoke is a “known human carcinogen”, meaning that secondhand smoke is known to cause cancer (Cancer). So obviously, secondhand smoke is harmful, but is outdoor secondhand hand smoke? According to a study done by the University of Georgia, even secondhand smoke can increase the amount of carcinogens in a person’s body (Balmes et al.). So even outdoors, secondhand smoke is still damaging to a person’s health. Moving smoking areas away from high traffic area, such as Bosco Student Plaza, would increase the health of not only the students, but faculty and staff as
well.
By focusing on the rights of smokers, Madden fails to see the larger picture of the health of Kansas State. By insisting that smokers have a right to smoke just like people have to eat fatty foods, Madden puts the right of the few, smokers, over the health of the general population of Kansas State University. The problem with this argument is that there is no secondhand diabetes, one cannot get cancer by watching someone eat McDonalds, but thousands of people suffer from the effects of secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains 250 harmful substances and 69 of these can be linked to cancer (Cancer). Smoking is not just harmful to the person doing it, but also to anyone walking by a person smoking and according to the surgeon general, “There is no safe level of exposure to [secondhand smoke]. Any exposure is harmful.” (Cancer). Madden asserts that smokers on campus do not complain about the current restrictions. They probably do not because there are not any real restrictions. Smoking is not allowed within buildings, within 30 feet of a building entrance, nor in any designated non-smoking area (K-State). These restrictions leave the rest of the entire campus to smoke however. Furthermore, many smokers do not follow these rules anyway. I have seen many people standing two feet away from a door, or even right next to it, smoking. There are also several places on campus that have high concentrations of smokers that or some reason these places tend to be where there is the most traffic. Bosco Student Plaza and many other places always where there is a high concentration of smokers, have loads of students around inhaling secondhand smoke. If Kansas State were to move these unofficial areas to places where there are not as many people, but just as convenient for smokers, the campus would be a better place for everyone. The administration could also improve the smoking regulation by making several designated smoking areas. This, along with better enforcement of the current regulations, would help reduce the amount of student exposure to secondhand smoke and improve student life. Although smokers have the right to smoke, they do not have the right to endanger the health of others on campus. Since even outdoor secondhand smoke is harmful, smoking actually jeopardizes the health of others, and since the smoking policy on campus is not truly enforced or followed, there should be better guidelines for smoking on campus. Although Madden thinks he is protecting the rights of students on campus, he is really trying to put the students’ right to be healthy below the rights of the 30% of people who smoke.
Works Cited Secondhand Smoke: What is Secondhand Smoke?. Jan. 1, 2013. American Cancer Society. Web. Oct. 15, 2013. < http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke>
General Safety Policies. Mar. 16, 2009. Kansas State University. Web. Oct. 15, 2013
Balmes, Bernet, Hall, Holland, Naeher, Sosnoff, St Helen, Vena, Wang, Xia. “Exposure to secondhand smoke outside of a bar and a restaurant and tobacco exposure biomarkers in nonsmokers.” PubMed. n. pag. Web. Jul. 2012.
Hannah Baker
ENGL 200
October 15, 2013
Unit 2 Essay
Many campuses have issues between smokers and non-smokers; Kansas State University does not escape this. Many people on campus are bothered by smoking and smokers. This has led to a call for further smoking restrictions. In 2010 Joshua Madden wrote an editorial in the Kansas State Collegian against more restrictions on smokers. In the article, Madden argues that further restrictions against smokers are unnecessary since the effects of secondhand smoke outdoors are negligible, since smoking is a lifestyle choice similar to eating fatty foods K-State should not regulate it, and smoking is limited enough at K-State to add further limits. Further restrictions on smoking on campus are necessary because outdoor secondhand smoke is still very harmful, unlike eating fatty foods, smoking effects the health of others, and the places one can smoke on campus are not truly restricted or enforced. In my opinion, Kansas State should define smoking areas, and move them away from high traffic areas. …show more content…
I dispute Madden’s claim that effects of outdoor secondhand smoke are insignificant.
Secondhand smoke, no matter indoor or outdoor, is very harmful. According to the EPA secondhand smoke is a “known human carcinogen”, meaning that secondhand smoke is known to cause cancer (Cancer). So obviously, secondhand smoke is harmful, but is outdoor secondhand hand smoke? According to a study done by the University of Georgia, even secondhand smoke can increase the amount of carcinogens in a person’s body (Balmes et al.). So even outdoors, secondhand smoke is still damaging to a person’s health. Moving smoking areas away from high traffic area, such as Bosco Student Plaza, would increase the health of not only the students, but faculty and staff as
well.
By focusing on the rights of smokers, Madden fails to see the larger picture of the health of Kansas State. By insisting that smokers have a right to smoke just like people have to eat fatty foods, Madden puts the right of the few, smokers, over the health of the general population of Kansas State University. The problem with this argument is that there is no secondhand diabetes, one cannot get cancer by watching someone eat McDonalds, but thousands of people suffer from the effects of secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains 250 harmful substances and 69 of these can be linked to cancer (Cancer). Smoking is not just harmful to the person doing it, but also to anyone walking by a person smoking and according to the surgeon general, “There is no safe level of exposure to [secondhand smoke]. Any exposure is harmful.” (Cancer). Madden asserts that smokers on campus do not complain about the current restrictions. They probably do not because there are not any real restrictions. Smoking is not allowed within buildings, within 30 feet of a building entrance, nor in any designated non-smoking area (K-State). These restrictions leave the rest of the entire campus to smoke however. Furthermore, many smokers do not follow these rules anyway. I have seen many people standing two feet away from a door, or even right next to it, smoking. There are also several places on campus that have high concentrations of smokers that or some reason these places tend to be where there is the most traffic. Bosco Student Plaza and many other places always where there is a high concentration of smokers, have loads of students around inhaling secondhand smoke. If Kansas State were to move these unofficial areas to places where there are not as many people, but just as convenient for smokers, the campus would be a better place for everyone. The administration could also improve the smoking regulation by making several designated smoking areas. This, along with better enforcement of the current regulations, would help reduce the amount of student exposure to secondhand smoke and improve student life. Although smokers have the right to smoke, they do not have the right to endanger the health of others on campus. Since even outdoor secondhand smoke is harmful, smoking actually jeopardizes the health of others, and since the smoking policy on campus is not truly enforced or followed, there should be better guidelines for smoking on campus. Although Madden thinks he is protecting the rights of students on campus, he is really trying to put the students’ right to be healthy below the rights of the 30% of people who smoke.
Works Cited Secondhand Smoke: What is Secondhand Smoke?. Jan. 1, 2013. American Cancer Society. Web. Oct. 15, 2013. < http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke>
General Safety Policies. Mar. 16, 2009. Kansas State University. Web. Oct. 15, 2013
Balmes, Bernet, Hall, Holland, Naeher, Sosnoff, St Helen, Vena, Wang, Xia. “Exposure to secondhand smoke outside of a bar and a restaurant and tobacco exposure biomarkers in nonsmokers.” PubMed. n. pag. Web. Jul. 2012.