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