U.S. Anti-smoking Campaign and Smoking On-Campus

Smoking is one of the most preventable diseases in the world that we live in. Unfortunately, although many anti-smoking campaigns have occurred over the last decade, most of them were able to increase knowledge of the issue but did not succeed in changing people’s perceptions in a way that would enable them to quit smoking.
 
In order to tackle the problem from its roots, the U.S. government decided last month to launch an antismoking campaign. Author of the article Theresa Seiger of “Disturbing anti-smoking ads convince thousands to quit” seeks to inform readers about the new $54 million, and 12-week anti-smoking advertising campaign that the government recently created. The campaign is called “Tips From Smokers” and it aims to show former smokers discussing the horrific health consequences of smoking and providing tips on how to successfully quit.

 
To convince current smokers of its threat the feature graphic images of people who have life-altering diseases as a result of their decision to smoke. The campaign was launched on March 19, and it appears on several mass media platforms, such as television, magazines and billboards. Furthermore, the article shows its success by stating that “the Tips from Former Smokers campaign caused the quit line’s numbers to spike from 14,000 per week to more than 34,000.”
 
The article also offers statistical information about the people who are currently smokers. In particular, 45.3 million adults smoke in the U.S and nearly 1.5 million people under 18 annually start smoking. Overall, this article shows that even in the toughest economic times, the government successfully launched this campaign proving that smoking is a habit that people can quit if the right messages are presented to them.
 
Smoking on campus
Reflecting on this campaign, College Park students reflect on the importance of preventing smoking on campus. The opinions of students varied, as many believed that smoking should not be eliminated on campus because it threatens people’s right to smoke in an open area while others believed that the university should not allow people to smoke because it subjects others to second-hand smoke.
 
“I totally agree with those who oppose smoking on campuses,” Theo Antoneos, junior family science major, says. “People, including me, do not want to be subjected to the unhealthy second hand smoke.” Antoneos express his belief that second-hand smoke is absolutely annoying and bad for students’ health.

 
Nicole Gormley junior public health major agrees with Antoneos and argues that we need to live in a smoke-free campus. “I transferred from a community college that is a completely smoking free campus,” Gormley said. “Here, I am totally bothered by second hand smoking because it affects my health. If students want to smoke, there should be designated smoking areas far away from others.”
 
Not everyone shares the same opinion as Antoneos and Gormley. Kevin San Buenaventura, junior sociology major, states that smoking on campus should be allowed because it does not bother anyone if people smoke in the “open air.” San Buenaventura argues that people who are bothered by others who smoke can just decide to not walk near them.
 
Overall, it is important for everyone to realize the significance of smoking in people’s lives. It represents an important issue that should be eliminated and people need to be given the opportunity to know what the immediate effects of smoking are. The students of university of Maryland who have seen the campaign reflected on it and decided whether the campus should be smoking-free or not. The variation in their opinions shows that regardless of the campaign’s effectiveness we still have a long way to go till the majority of people agree that smoking should be completely eliminated from most places.