Smoking is a worldwide hazard. It is a single-most important cause of preventable premature deaths. As per the World Health Organiation’s (WHO) figures, there are about 1.3 billion smokers in the world. Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than six lakh are non-smokers dying from breathing secondhand smoke (SHS). Unless action is taken, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. Over 80 per cent of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries. India is home to 12 per cent of the world’s smokers.
Approximately, 9 lakh Indians die every year in due to smoking. Smoking is declining in the US and many other western countries, but it is on the rise in developing countries like India.
The WHO has earmarked May 31 as the World No Tobacco Day to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The specific goals of the 2014 campaign are: Government increase taxes on tobacco to levels that reduce tobacco consumption; Individuals and civil society organisations encourage their Governments to increase taxes. Research shows that higher taxes are especially effective in reducing tobacco use among lower-income groups and in preventing young people from starting smoking.
Despite the overall success in recent decades of bringing down the smoking rate, the prevalence of smoking among young adults aged 20-24 remains higher than any other age. Young adults try their first cigarette after the age of 18, and the majorities who smoke become addicted smokers after that age. The college years have been identified as a time of increased risk for smoking initiation and transition into regular tobacco use.
As many college students are addicted to tobacco; a number of colleges has developed smoking policies. Many college authorities are declaring tobacco-free campuses. A college has legal responsibilities to provide safe environments for students and staff from secondhand smoke (SHS). Because SHS contains more than 43 cancer-causing agents and many others toxins, SHS exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer and can trigger immediate health effects for students with asthma, allergies or other medical conditions. A large number of college students surveyed say they experience immediate health effects from SHS on campuses.
Certain social, economic and environmental factors can be associated with the prediction of youth and an increased use in tobacco. This includes incompletion of higher levels of education, high-level exposure to tobacco products and violent behaviour. However, students are less likely to smoke if they attend a college that prohibits smoking as part of a comprehensive tobacco policy. But a number of colleges have designated smoking areas instead of going completely smoke-free. The smoking areas have many disadvantages. It is found that in outdoor designated areas with multiple smokers, levels of toxic air contaminants from secondhand smoke may be higher than indoors, therefore, creating a hazardous environment to individuals standing in or around these areas. Additionally, SHS is proven to travel outside of designated areas; distance depends on wind strength and direction. Designated areas have also been found to encourage tobacco use by creating a social environment for daily and nondaily tobacco users. Unless regularly cleaned and maintained, these areas are unhealthy for the students, staff and visitors.
Smoking is also a fire hazard due to careless smokers. Besides, cigarette waste is extremely toxic to environment. The filter of a cigarette is designed to trap the toxic chemicals in the tobacco smoke and prevent them from entering into the smoker’s body. The filter, when wet, releases thousands of toxic chemicals back into the environment. These filters and chemicals are washed into waterways by storm water runoff. The purpose of the smoke-free campus policy would be to provide a safe and healthy environment, free of secondhand smoke and toxic tobacco-related litter.
In India, The National Tobacco Control Bill was passed in 2003. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2004 and, more recently, the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules of 2008 set out how the smoke-free provisions in the law are applied in practice. Many cities have full authority to pass comprehensive smoke-free laws to eliminate exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces and public places.
Cities like Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Shimla have been declared as smoke-free cities in the country. The Government of India through its comprehensive tobacco control legislations has prohibited the smoking in public places. As per Section 4 of the Tobacco Control Act, a public place means any place to which the public have access, which includes auditorium, hospital buildings, railway waiting room, amusement centers, restaurants, public offices, educational institutions, libraries and the like. The sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions is also prohibited. However, this particular rule is seldom enforced.
A majority of students prefer tobacco-free campuses. Information on the smoke-free campus policy should be disseminated to all faculty, staff, students and new members of the college. The colleges which have not implemented tobacco-free policy should adopt it. Smoke-free campus policies should cover all types of tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis, and smokeless tobacco.
It’s easiest to prohibit tobacco use from the beginning. Tobacco-free campus policy works best when compliance is viewed as the shared responsibility and the right of all in the campus community — smokers and non-smokers alike. Besides, tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among students.
A well-planned communication campaign will result in smooth implementation with greater compliance. Pictorial warnings significantly increase students’ awareness of the harms of tobacco use. Also, implementing a tobacco-free policy is a great opportunity for higher education institutions to demonstrate their role as leaders in public health.
(Dr Mayarani Praharaj woks in the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)
