Dear Editor:

Since starting the fall semester I have taken notice to a social habit that is becoming very popular here on campus. Now I am not judging or saying I have never indulged in this social habit (I am a former partaker of this nasty social habit). This social habit is smoking cigarettes right outside of the Math and Social Science Building.

Now I know from experience that math stresses you out (I have math anxiety) but to stand around the sign that is right in front of the building by the sidewalk and light up as us non-smokers are standing around socializing is downright rude.

Now please let me explain something about this social habit that seems to be so popular.

My smoking knowledge comes from way back as a child. Both my parents were smokers and the company we had over a lot were smokers also. So as these adults were socializing in our house my developing lungs were filled with cancer causing toxins.

I had a lot of problems in physical education classes in junior high. I couldn’t breathe after running just a mere 50-yard dash (Now I walk up the street that leads to the trolly stop from the math building in 5 minutes without being out of breath). My parents I’m sure had no idea what they were doing, because smoking back in the 60’s was socially accepted and it was everywhere.

When I was 30 years old, I was told I had precancerous cells in my cervix, and this scared my because my Dad died from cancer. I know the nasty habit I was partaking in was the cause so I quit. It was hard but I haven’t smoked since then and I am almost 50 now (and proud of it!).

I have taken a lot of effort to change my social habits but I believe with a lot of will power it can be done.

Oh, and about the signs that are posted to tell us students about the no smoking on campus is I have seen many students and instructors standing right by the sign smoking.

To be fair yes I know it may have been in my genes to get cancer but the smoking didn’t help stop it. The way I see this social habit is it’s your business if you want to smoke but it’s a non-smokers business if they don’t want to inhale your second hand smoke.

A solution would be a smoking area off campus to smoke. After all, this campus is growing and there are a lot of places around the campus to go to do this (Off the campus, not on!). But smoking right outside of the classroom is not a place to smoke.

Okay I’m off my soapbox now!

Rhona Gassaway
San Diego City College student