UNCP receives funding for Tobacco Task Force

Caroline Mage and Tai Bryant, two medical students from UNC Chapel Hill, spoke at the Chavis University Center on Jan. 24 about tobacco awareness and updated research on harm done to non-smokers as well as smokers.            

Pembroke is one of the 60 universities selected to receive financial support from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund. The Tobacco-Free Colleges Initiative was launched in January 2006.

The creation of a tobacco task force was one of the major steps in making the UNCP campus smoke free.            

Smoking affects everyone especially in the residence halls, said Mark Schwarze, CPARC Coordinator for the Counseling and Testing Center.

“New research shows that secondhand smoke is more dangerous then we originally thought,” said Schwarze.            

A slide of a pool with signs reading ‘peeing section’ and ‘non-peeing section’ received laughter as Mage explained its correlation with secondhand smoke in the air.

“People assume outdoors is safe,” said Mage. “Secondhand smoke outdoors forms a cone shape and non-smokers are still exposed to the toxic fumes.”            

A major benefit of having a smoke-free policy is the reduction of heart attacks by 27 to 40 percent.

Additional benefits include reduced insurance costs and fire risk in a smoke-free environment and reduction of the levels of metabolized nicotine in non-smokers.            

“The tobacco task force is a really powerful voice for students,” said Schwarze.

Monica Osburn, director of counseling and testing services,  said they listen to student concerns. For example, when students complained about having to go through smoke to get into the Education Building, they moved the smoking area.            

“This is a progressive national movement,” Mage said.