1006_Ind2_S1

Name: Danielle Keller

Instructions: Now that your group has decided on an issue, you must demonstrate that there is a problem. You will turn in this research sheet completed with two articles attached that you showed that there is a problem

I. There is a problem in society today. That problem is:

Nonsmokers are beings subjected against their wills to secondhand or "passive" smoke in public places. Passive smoking increases chances of cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. When smoking socially and publicly first came about, very few people knew the dangers of either mainstream or secondhand smoke. However, times have changed drastically, and new technology and research has led to potentially lifesaving information about secondhand smoke and its effects on those who are unlucky enough to be exposed to it. Smoking is a personal choice, and nonsmokers should not be put in a compromising position simply because they choose to go to restaurants or public buildings in which others are smoking.

II. Facts that demonstrate that there is a problem are: (Two articles and bibliography must be attached)

According to an article from the University of Minnesota Division of Periodontology, "If a person spends more than two hours in a room where someone is smoking, the nonsmoker inhales the equivalent of four cigarettes." ("Secondhand Smoke Facts" 1) This figure is absolutely staggering. While no place in the United States has really had a smoking ban long enough to acquire significant data on the matter, many Canadian provinces have shown a notable drop in health problems related to smoking. According to the article "Smoking Ban Linked to Drop in Hospitalization," hospitalizations for heart and respiratory issues dropped 30-40% in the 3-year period after Toronto banned smoking in restaurants (1). The U of Minnesota article also states that smokers only inhale 15% of cigarette smoke; the other 85% just hangs in the air for others to inhale involuntarily (1). An innocent bystander may inhale up to "3X as much cancer-causing benzpyrene, 5X as much carbon monoxide, and 50X as much ammonia" as the person actually smoking the cigarette ("Secondhand Smoke Facts" 1). A ban like that of Toronto, Canada, could save thousands of lives. Dr. Alan Maryon-Davis expresses his opinion in the "Smoking Ban Linked to Drop in Hospitalization" article: the new research "adds to the growing body of evidence that legislation banning smoking can save lives, and that is begins to do so quickly" (2). " Secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of disability and early death... in the United States" ("Secondhand Smoke Facts" 1). With a ban on smoking in public buildings, these terrifying statistics could become things of the past.

Bibliography:

"Secondhand Smoke Facts." //Tobacco Use Cessation Program//. U of Minnesota Division of Periodontology, 2003. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .

Picard, Andre. "Smoking Ban Linked to Drop in Hospitalizations." //Globe and Mail (Toronto,// // Canada). // 13 Apr 2010: A.1. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 15 Feb 2011.

Spear, Susie. "Up in Secondhand Smoke." //Clarion Ledger (Jackson, MS)//. Feb. 7 1993: 1E+. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 22 Feb 2011.