Overview
Currently, the smoking area in WSU is filled with a lot of smoke as a result of too much smoking. It, in turn, induces passive smoking to nonsmokers in the institution. Just like active smoking, passive smoking is also associated with lots of adverse health implications since it causes infections such as lung cancer, lower respiratory tract diseases, and asthma amongst others. These illnesses can lead to losing of lives as well as financial losses (Yi Nam et al., 2016). It is essential to devise a way that can be applied to countering smoking associated health concerns in WSU. For example, policies that aim at assisting smokers to quit the habit can help to cut down the number of smokers and hence reduce carcinogens and other particles in the WSU’s atmosphere. Similarly, a closed smoking area fitted with smoke converters can assist in converting smoke to water and other non-toxic products. The paper will elucidate the possible solution process that can be applied to counter the health impacts of excessive smoking in the institution.
Summary
The counteractive ways for smoking in WSU will involve the construction of a smoking room that will be tailored in a way that it will allow the conversion of smoke to nontoxic forms. Erecting the smoking house will completely bring down the smoke issue in the university. Besides, it will serve as a discouragement to smokers as a result of the queuing process as one waits for his or her turn. Policies for binding smokers to utilize only the smoking room while in the institution will be introduced. Furthermore, those willing to quit the smoking habit will be offered free counseling as well as guidance in the institute’s health facility. Through applying the above processes, the smoke in WSU as a result of too much smoking in the smoking area will be eliminated.
Solution Process
The solution process to emitting too much smoke in the university will be attained through eliminating smoke in the institutions environment as well as educating the smokers on the health, economic, and social implications of smoking. Besides, creating awareness programs on the benefits of quitting smoking is also crucial. The solution process will involve the itinerary procedure below:
1. Construction of the smoking facility
WSU will construct a smoking lounge. The facility will be fitted with smoke converters for converting smoke exhaled by the user and that from the burning tobacco product tip into harmless products. The building of the facility and equipping it with the necessary equipment will take nine months. Smoking inside the room will guarantee a zero release of carcinogens and fine particles responsible for causing smoking-related illnesses into the environment. Besides, the room will also be fitted with auto-detectors for the maximum number of smokers who can utilize it at any particular time for purposes of allowing easy conversion of smoke. Through having a fixed number of smokers, it will imply that some people will be required to wait for other smokers to come out that can serve as a discouraging factor to smoking.
2. Initiating policies mandating smoking only in the smoking facility
Following the construction of the smoking room, WSU will introduce new regulations that will mandate smokers to utilize the smoking facility only. Smoking in any other place in the institution will be prohibited as a means of encouraging smokers to use the lounge. Smoking only inside the room will translate into zero emission of smoke into the WSU environment meaning that there will be no passive smoking.
3. Launching awareness programs
The third step will involve an initiation of campaigns for educating smokers on the implications of smoking as well as the benefits of quitting smoking.
Educating the smokers on the social, economic, and health impacts of smoking
Even though tobacco products have a warning on the health effects of smoking labeled on the pack, few smokers take the initiative of reading the cautionary clause (Yi Nam et al., 2016). Campaigns will be launched for the dissemination of the social, economic, and the health impacts of smoking. For instance, on the social basis, the smokers will be made aware of the partial discrimination they are likely to face from the nonsmoking population. Most of the nonsmokers evade association with the nonsmokers since the habit is regarded as being antisocial mannerism. Besides, the smell generated by the smoke after smoking can impede most of the people from associating with the smokers. On the economic side, smoking is an expensive habit to maintain. Smokers usually commit a lot of money to buying tobacco products as a result of addiction. Moreover, it reduces the productivity of a person as a result of the breaks that one can take in between the production session. Similarly, smokers do not take a keen emphasis on the health impacts of smoking. Coming up with a health awareness campaigns will offer smokers a platform of assessing the degree in which they are ruining their health. Most of the smokers perceive the habit as being part of them without necessarily comprehending the cost implications of smoking, making them aware can assist them in making an informed decision on smoking.
Encouraging smokers to quit smoking
After explaining the social, economic, and the health effects of smoking, it is crucial to encourage smokers to stop smoking. Since smokers have been in the habit for some time, the best approach to utilize is to explicate the benefits associated with quitting the habit. According to the WHO (2001), after an individual stops smoking the related health problems proportionally diminishes substantially with the abstinence period. The benefits not only apply to those with smoking associated diseases but also to those without the illnesses (WHO, 2001). Besides, former smokers can live longer as opposed to the continuing smokers. As a means of motivating smokers to quit smoking, WSU will establish a free guidance and counseling unit in the institution’s health facility that will specifically deal with smokers. Behavioral therapy will be the primary smoking cessation strategy that will be utilized. Others methods will involve the use of medication such as varenicline or the Nicotine Replacement Therapy. The Nicotine Replacement therapy can be administered as a transdermal skin patch or nicotine gums. Ideally, tobacco is the among the most addictive nicotine products because of those who intent to quit experience relapses after sometime. As such, nicotine replacement therapy is administered and designed to assist individuals who have just quit smoking and are experiencing mild withdrawal symptoms of physical dependences of nicotine. Patients using the therapy benefit due to its effectiveness in treating nicotine dependence (WHO, 2001).
Conclusion
Erecting a smoking lounge in the institution and initiating regulations that will confine smokers to use the facility is an essential step in cutting down or eliminating smoke in the WSU environment. Besides, coming up with awareness programs for the impacts of smoking and the benefits of quitting smoking can also significantly reduce the smoke in the institution. It is only through the application of the above process that carcinogens and other fine particles that cause diseases can be eliminated. If the solution process is not implemented, those in the institution will experience smoking associated diseases that can be fatal in the long-run.
References
WHO. (2001). Encouraging People to Stop Smoking. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/stop_smoking_whomsdmdp01_4.pdf
Yi Nam, S., Man Ping, W., Li, W. C., Kwong, A. S., Lai, V. Y., Chan, S. C., & Tai Hing, L.
(2016). Brief advice and active referral for smoking cessation services among community smokers: a study protocol for randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 161-7. doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3084-z
