Public smoking ban should be considered (03/17/06)

To the editor:

It has been known since the 1950s that smoking causes lung cancer, but smoking is also associated with more than 50 different diseases and disorders. Many of the diseases and disorders that smoking causes are fatal. About half of all people who continue to smoke will be killed by it.

Indiana has the fifth-highest adult smoking rate in the United States, responsible for about 10,300 deaths annually, and $1.9 billion dollars in healthcare costs per year. For every pack of cigarettes sold in Indiana, Hoosiers spend $5.73 in health care costs related to smoking.

Secondhand smoke is the third most preventable cause of death in the United States. It causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers, in the U.S. each year. Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. It is responsible for higher rate of respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, and causes 1,900 to 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the United States annually (American Lung Association).

Secondhand smoke contains a complex mixture of more than 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are known or probable human cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace have up to a 19 percent increased risk of lung cancer.

According to www.whitelies.tv a non-smoker who works in a smoking environment for eight hours a day gets the equivalent of smoking six cigarettes a day. For this reason alone, it would make sense for business owners to consider making a totally smoke-free environment for their employees and customers. Only 71 percent of Hoosier adults working indoors are protected from secondhand smoke through a smoke free policy. Indiana lags behind the rest of the U.S. in the proportion of the indoor workforce protected from secondhand smoke. According to a study conducted in 1994 by the United States Office of Technology and Assessment, current smokers averaged almost three times as much sick leave as nonsmokers and had significantly more sick leave than former smokers. Most insurance companies offer lower life insurance rates to non-smokers. So the employer as well as the employees can benefit from this.

Comprehensive review of all available studies on the economic impact of smoke-free workplace laws concluded that: “All of the best designed studies report no impact or a positive impact of smoke-free restaurant and bar laws on sales or employment.” (Tobacco Control, 2003).

Involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke still remains a common public health hazard that is preventable by appropriate regulatory policies. Many surrounding counties have already adopted ordinances regulating smoking in public places, including: Muncie, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Bloomington, Columbus, and several other counties and communities.

Bans on smoking in public places reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and the number of cigarettes smoked.

Kristen Spahr, coordinator

Jay County Tobacco Free Coalition

Track thanks

To the editor:

The Jay County High School boys and girls track teams participated in an NSR qualifier Track and Field meet on Saturday March 11th at Anderson University.

I would like to thank all the local people who helped make the Patriot Invitational a huge success.

Thanks to the following people who provided snacks for the hospitality room: Ed and Linda Wellman, John and Crystal Mosier, Ed and Valerie Laux, Heather Binegar, David and Robin Fullenkamp, Doug and Carolyn Johnson, Chrisann Houston, and Scott and Karen Mescher.

Thanks to those who helped with the track and field events: Ed and Linda Wellman, Doug Johnson, David and Robin Fullenkamp, Miranda Betz, Lisa Michael, and John and Crystal Mosier.

Thanks to Joni Penrod and Phil Ford for their help and support, and also a special thanks to Alyssa Johnson who, without any advance notice, sang the National Anthem.

Again thank you,

Les Bantz

JCHS girls track coach[[In-content Ad]]