Submission: UCLA can help snuff out tobacco at Great American Smokeout
Thursday, Nov. 19 is the 40th annual Great American Smokeout, which was started by the California chapter of the American Cancer Society. The Great American Smokeout is an important time to be mindful that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and that new tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, are on the rise. Surveys consistently show that almost 70 percent of adult tobacco users want to quit. The Great American Smokeout is the perfect time to help support our colleagues, friends and family members who continue to use tobacco. Free help is available through the California Smokers’ Helpline, 1-800-No-Butts.
The University of California implemented the Smoke and Tobacco-Free Policy to help protect us all from the effects of tobacco, joining over 1,100 other college campuses. It is important that we work together to sustain the gains UCLA has already achieved since it became tobacco-free in 2013. We know that quitting tobacco is one of the most difficult things for anyone to do. It takes an average of eight to 11 attempts before a tobacco user quits successfully, and even then relapse rates are high.
In the two years that UCLA has been tobacco free, we appreciate that remaining tobacco users have largely abided by the policy. However, there are a few individuals who continue to smoke on campus. What is particularly concerning is when these few individuals smoke next to building vents. This exposes everyone in the building to secondhand smoke, which has been classified as a toxic air contaminant by the California Environmental Protection Agency. Tobacco litter, especially cigarettes, is the No. 1 litter item in California according to the California Department of Transportation, and causes significant environmental degradation and toxicity as cigarette butts are not biodegradable. Cigarettes also cause environmental damage as a significant cause of unintentional fires, a risk increased in our current drought.
We can help students, staff and faculty achieve better health by reminding tobacco users that there is no tobacco use permitted on campus. It is not easy to approach unknown individuals who are not following the policy and ask them to stop. There are helpful videos that model how to do so at the Breathe Well website.
A group of UCLA students will be reminding our campus community about the Great American Smokeout at the bottom of Bruin Walk and by the UCLA Medicinal Herb Garden by the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Stop by and show your support! We also encourage you to let us know about your experiences by emailing us at [email protected].
Michael Ong is an associate professor of medicine in residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and co-chair of UCLA’s Tobacco-Free Task Force. Linda Sarna is interim dean, professor and Lulu Wolf-Hassenplug Endowed Chair at the School of Nursing and co-chair of UCLA’s Tobacco-Free Task Force.
