Smoking has been reduced over the past two decades, but “cigarette smoking among college students is of concern because the prevalence of smoking among college students has not decreased as it has declined among the general population,” (Harrar et al. 121). This statement shows the importance of efforts to reduce smoking among college students. I believe that college campuses would benefit from a “smoke-free policy.” This policy would serve to eliminate the harmful effects of smoking and secondhand smoke on campus. If students and faculty are not allowed to smoke on campus, they will have to go off campus to smoke. Therefore, if smoking is prohibited on campus property, smokers will suffer discomfort, so many students may quit or at least reduce smoking. Does the United States currently smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products? Cigarettes contain many harmful substances, such as arsenic, which is found in rat poison . Tobacco also contains over seventy carcinogenic substances, i.e. carcinogenic substances (CDC). Although many people who use tobacco products know that they are unhealthy, they are not fully aware of the extent to which smoking affects the health of themselves and others. People between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are targeted by tobacco marketing companies due to their lack of knowledge (Murphy-Hoefer, Alder, and Higbee 371). Another reason this age group is being targeted is because it has been shown that tobacco use in this age group has not decreased as it has among smokers of other ages (ACHA). One-third of college students admit to using tobacco products in the past month (ACHA). ...... middle of paper ...... you have the power to ask people to use designated areas. I believe that if others read the policy and were more aware, they too would be more empowered. As of July 2013, more than 1,178 college or university campuses in the United States have adopted 100 percent smoke-free campus policies. I believe the University of Toledo should adopt this policy as well. If the University of Toledo adopted a comprehensive no-smoking policy, it would greatly reduce and eliminate the effects of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoking is responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 non-smoking Americans each year. In my opinion, these people are victims and smokers are the culprits. These non-smokers are subject to terrible health problems, medical bills, and sometimes death. Non-smokers have made the healthy decision and yet over 3,000 of them die every year, all from smokers.