To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the letters that appeared in The Dartmouth last week about the issues about tobacco that were raised by Neil Resnick's and Juan Carlos Serna's editorial ["Butt Out of Dartmouth's Affairs," May 18]. I have been the Chief of Oncology at White River Junction VA Hospital since 1978 and have seen too many good people suffering and dying from tobacco-related illnesses. People first think of cancer, especially lung cancer, when they think of smoking-related illnesses, but smoking is also associated with cancer of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, bladder and kidney, not to mention heart disease, chronic lung disease, pregnancy and birth complications, ulcers, fires, accidents and other health risks. Tobacco has killed more people than all the wars we've been involved in combined -- about 450,000 people each year! The tragedy is that most of these deaths and suffering are preventable.
In his letter of May 21, J. Ryan Gilfoil asserts (and rightly so) that no statistics were given, only unsubstantiated assertions, but the surveys of undergrads show an increasing percent are saying "yes" about using tobacco. Last year's said 31 percent of Dartmouth women were smoking -- it doesn't say how much -- and students tell me that "this is mostly at periods of high stress like exams or at weekend parties and students feel they can quit anytime." That's what too many of my patients thought too -- but there is no question that nicotine is very addictive, and that just putting smoking aside can be much harder than anyone anticipates.
The 49-year-old woman mentioned by Serna and Resnick began smoking in prep school, got hooked and couldn't quit. Her lung cancer at age 49 (lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the number one cause of cancer death in women) was surely due to smoking. Her parents and friends know this and that is why they want to prevent this type of tragedy for other parents, other friends, other young people and are supporting an effort to try to decrease smoking on this campus. I hope you will all join to help this effort.
In his letter of May 22, Alexander Wilson disputes the theory of second-hand smoke, but most experts and studies show that second-hand smoke is a significant risk for cancer and for respiratory illnesses in those exposed. There are potent carcinogens in side stream smoke (i.e. that coming off the cigarette) that those exposed breathe into their lungs.
In the symposium about tobacco on May 20, we heard compelling testimony about the duplicity of the tobacco industry, their tactics to avoid culpability, to influence kids to smoke (with documents read about a campaign to influence five-year-olds), to manipulate data and buy support. There is evidence that the industry is now targeting young adults in colleges to begin smoking, and whenever the industry has targeted a group, that group has increased their smoking behavior.
This whole discussion is not about the administration foisting down an edict to those below them but about an attempt to begin a dialog about promoting and preserving health in this very special community.