I remember taking a group of fourth-graders and their parents on a hike in our local mountains. It was in the spring of 2007; the snowpack had finally melted to point that made it possible to cross the river to get to the trailhead. The previous winter had, unfortunately wiped out a large section of the trail, so after hiking for about an hour it was necessary to backtrack to lower ground. But the day was still young and the kids were still wound up. As the leader of this excursion I was bound and determined all would have a good time before we had to return to school.
I decided to explore the forest up the creek a bit while people ate their lunches. It was a bit tricky because the water was still rushing fast from the snowmelt. Several trees had fallen into the path of water creating mini-waterfalls. They had also formed a wonderfully deep swimming area, complete with a huge log you could walk out on that was perfect for facing off against an enemy as you tried to remain standing. You truly did not want to be thrust into such cold water, so the competition was fierce, especially with the dads who had come up the creek and were trying to out-perform the other dads in front of the class. It was a perfect place. It was a perfect day.
The next year I arranged another hike around the same area in hopes of a repeat of the fun experienced there before. To my eternal dismay, that same poolside area up the creek was littered with beer bottles and trash. There were so many cigarette butts scattered on the ground it is a wonder a fire hadn’t started. I picked up as much trash as I could carry out and left that place knowing it would never be the same again.
It is a shame that some show such disregard for what most other people consider a basic right of humanity, like breathing fresh air. I grew up in a smoker’s home and didn’t know what I was missing until I spent some serious time away from that environment. Nowadays even the smallest whiff of tobacco smoke sends me into a distress mode that brings me close to removing the cigarette from its owner’s mouth or hand and snuffing it out by foot. How dare that person subject me to the effects of second-hand smoke.
I’ve come across recent news articles on the subject of tobacco in which I find the public at large, as well as government and health organizations, are feeling my pain and are trying to enact laws that extend the current smoking ban in workplaces, restaurants, and bars to outdoor arenas. Scarborough, Maine now bans all tobacco use, including chew and snuff, from all town beaches. Violators will be fined $100 to $500 (1). This response is due to the high number of cigarette butts found at beach sites. Cigarette butts are the #1 form of pollution of Canadian coastlines (2). Sarasota, Florida and Greensboro, North Carolina are working towards banning smoking at all city parks as well as eliminating all designated smoking areas (3). Many of these bans have to do with aesthetic values of the environment and are just.
But what about the health implications of second hand smoke? Studies conducted by the Office of the Surgeon General and Centers for Disease Control estimates 1,700 non-smoking residents in North Carolina die each year of diseases associated to second-hand smoke (3). The CDC tells us 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke each year; another 8.6 million live with serious illnesses caused by smoking. 54% of kids between 3-11 years old are exposed to second-hand smoke (4). Why should we allow this to happen?
Some say our “nanny” government is taking away personal freedom to make choices and that no one owns the air we breathe. Others offer argument whether the sensitivities of a small minority of people should justify changing public policy (5). I think these people must have a loose wire upstairs given the overwhelming statistics that point to the health problems that result from second-hand smoke. If you want to kill yourself, go right ahead. Just don’t take me with you, please.
(1) http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-Scarborough-beaches-Tobacco-ban.html
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110417/BREAKING/110419544
(5)http://www.nycclash.com/OutdoorDebate.html
First of all, I really enjoyed your descriptive writing style in the first few paragraphs. I could imagine a serene place and then you totally crushed that beautiful image with litter; I think this was what you were aiming for and it made for a nice and impact full introduction to your topic! So good job ^_^ I have heard of the possibility of banning smoking in public outdoor spaces. Our campus (though not a public place) has recently banned smoking on campus. That’s interesting that Maine has succeeded in banning all tobacco use from the beaches in Scarborough. All the reasons that you presented in this blog make total sense. The last paragraph reminded me of censorship. The government is censoring the public’s exposure to secondhand smoke, so to speak. Whenever there is censorship of any kind, there is bound to be some opposition. People do not like their freedoms taken away even when it imposes on the freedoms of others. Like you, I enjoy the freedom to not be needlessly exposed to secondhand smoke.
ReplyDelete-E
I agree with you completely, I think it is so sad, that we cannot take our children to enjoy the same experiences as we did when we were young without wondering what type of pollution they are going to encounter.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for the laws in place here in California in regards to smoking. I was raised in a smoking environment and thankfully, did not take up the habit myself. I can hardly stand to walk by someone smoking; I too am thrown into a feeling of disgust. My children are sure that is should be illegal to smoke in the car. They seem to be completely confused at the fact we cannot use our phone but we can smoke…with children inside! They cannot comprehend how a parent can smoke with children enclosed inside of a little box.
You spoke of liter and air pollution but the other one that drives me crazy is the graffiti. I consider this a pollutant because it pollutes your body visually. I am sorry but when I take my 6 year old emergent reader into a bathroom and hear then sounding out the word “F*%#” I get angry. Why is this necessary?
I feel as though we are losing so many foundational character traits, it’s just common sense. Why does our youth not know that it is wrong to litter, and write all over the place? Where is their respect for our country, our state, ourselves? It is so frustrating. I know kids are kids, and all of my children have experimented in some form of rebelliousness, but when each one of them graffitied in my house (usually in the form of their own name…dead giveaway) They experienced much distress, this distress came in the form of a long talk about respecting others and their property, these are the things that prevent them from doing it elsewhere.