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Urges use of tobacco-free policies

To the editor:
According to the 2001 Minnesota Student Survey, 26 percent of 12th-grade students and 10 percent of 9th-grade students in Chisago County have smoked cigarettes daily in the last 12 months. The numbers continue to increase at alarming rates. When our youth use tobacco, they are ingesting thousands of chemicals. These chemicals cause lung, throat, and mouth cancer, as well as bronchitis and emphysema. Tobacco use also inhibits lung growth, causes muscle fatigue, raises blood pressure, and leads to heart disease. In addition to the physical effects, nicotine in tobacco is extremely addictive, making it very difficult to break the smoking addiction.
Why do our youth start smoking? They are influenced by people around them who smoke. Friends, family, and other adult leaders are key role models in whether or not youth choose to use tobacco. How can we, as a community, work to ensure that youth are surrounded by positive role models? We can start by being positive role models ourselves. One way we can do this is by prohibiting tobacco use at our recreational facilities and playgrounds. Prohibiting tobacco use reinforces to our youth that tobacco use is unacceptable and shows them that we, as adults, care about their health.
By prohibiting tobacco use at our recreational facilities and playgrounds, we are also protecting all of our citizens from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Over 3,000 nonsmokers in the United States die from lung cancer every year due to exposure to secondhand smoke. Since secondhand smoke saturates the air around smokers, outdoor secondhand smoke levels can reach levels as high as those found indoors. Cigarette smoke has no boundaries.
I urge you, as responsible, caring citizens of our community, to support a tobacco-free policy at our cityís recreational facilities and playgrounds. Take time to discuss this important issue with city park board members and city council members. Urge them to vote in favor of our future by protecting the health of our youth living in our community.
Cyndi Carroll
Chisago County
Public Health

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