Editor,

it’s about time somebody organized something like

he Panther Action Weekend. Our sports teams can certainly use a little more support from the students. However, I can’t help but wonder why, ina weekend where an effort was made to get more students out to he games, were two basketball games scheduled at he same time as the hockey game on Saturday night. sn’t this sort of defeating the purpose?

fark O’ Hanley

#

Year Editor,

would like tocommend you on your editorial on

letober 24th 1991. Smoking is a big issue in North

merica and it is about time people are educated on

1¢ effects of passive smoking. According to pam-

hlets distributed by the Canadian Cancer Society;

moking is related to 90% of all lung cancer cases and

estimated to be responsible for 30% of all cancer

eaths. Second-hand smoking is not only a nuisance it

‘now known to cause disease and even premature

saths in non-smokers. It is estimated that second-

and smoke is to blame for up to 500 deaths among

on-smoking Canadians every year. Sidestream smoke

hich is inhaled by non-smokers contains twice the

nount of tar and nicotine as mainstream smoke and

ost five times more carbon monoxide than that

oke the smoker inhales. Carbon monoxide works

obbing the body of oxygen that it needs. Red

yd cells normally carry oxygen from the lungs to

f the body’s tissues. However, the red cells

tcarbon monoxide, If there is any carbon mon-

in your lungs, the red blood cells will ignore

yeen and pick it up instead. As the carbon

ide content increases, more and more of your

yegins to starve for oxygen, including your heart

ain tissues. When this happens, you may be-

more fumbling and uncertain, Your ability to

it Visual detail may also suffer, Carbon monox-

umulative poison, meaning it builds up in

ystem as you take it in faster than you can get

it. The sidestream smoke you inhale from a

rf will stay in your body for hours. Each succes-

garette he/she smokes in your presence adds to up. Sidestream smoke causes significant

nently scars some of the small airways in your lungs. This scarring reduces your lung capacity, it makes it necessary for you to put more effort in breathing in order to get the amount of oxygen your body needs.

One smouldering cigarette pollutes the air for twelve full minutes. Second-hand smoke can cause burning of the eyes and nasal passages, headaches, nausea and discomfort in healthy non-smokers, not to mention unwanted odours and tints of tobacco smoke in your hair and clothes. And this happens because of other peoples’ cigarettes. It is often speculated ‘‘ifthe entire country stopped smoking would it cause an economic hardship?’’ Well, since the number of people who smoke is gradually decreasing, any eco- nomic efforts are slowly being absorbed when people stop smoking completely, the country will save money. For example, in 1985, Canadians spent nearly $6.1 billion on tobacco products, including the gov- ernment taxes. The ‘hidden’ costs of smoking, how- ever, are far higher than income from tobacco. More than $7 billion was spent in 1982 for foregone income due to a smoker’s death, disability, direct hospital costs, and fire damage. While the economic costs are great, the real costs in terms of health or quality of life cannot be measured in dollars. Most of this information was obtained from the Canadian Cancer Society’s Toward a Smoke-Free Workplace.

Fighting for cleaner air

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