Dear Editor,
As a resident of San Francisco, I’ve noticed that the use of cigarettes has become an issue in my community. When I was six years old I remember watching my aunt and uncle smoke these tobacco products, unaware of the consequences. Once they would finish their smoking session my cousins and I would be able to notice the stench on their clothes as if it had been drenched in the smell of smoke.Many smokers don’t realize the affect they have on those who surround them. Smoking harms not only the smoker, but those around the person smoking. Smokers that have kids can cause health conditions on both their child and themselves,this occurs when there’s second and third hand smoking. Many of the health conditions that develop from smoking cigarettes are unchangeable and lead to a closer death.
What concerns me the most is that cigarette companies target youth purposely so they can continue to make a profit as they grow up. As apart of Youth Policy Leaders at BACR I’ve been able to gain more knowledge on the impact of smoking,specifically in San Francisco; not just in adults but also adolescents through surveys,research,and media. As a Youth Policy Leader our main focus has been on free smoking housing in order to limit people from smoking in buildings. Utilizing the skills I have learned to bring awareness of the effects of cigarette use has been just one way in which I have been able to spread our concerns on the issue. impacting not just adults but youth as well.
As cigarette usage continues to increase the percentage of deaths skyrockets. Not just in cities but worldwide. More than 1,000 people die each day from smoking cigarettes, meaning that the companies need to find new people to make up for those deaths. A few policies aim to control the inflation, but the percentage of deaths because of this issue is still at large.At this point in period it’s time to put attention to the negative effects cigarettes continues to have in a citywide perspective. In order to do this we must shift to a new way to tackle the problem by creating smoke free housing in our communities.
Sincerely,
Maria Isabel Breña Millán
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