Letter to the editor

Smokers spark asthma attacks

I would like to expand on Nicole Aune’s column, “Protect Students from Smoke.” There is an issue I would like to bring up that on-campus students have to deal with.

I currently live on campus, and my roommate is a smoker. She knows she has to go outside to smoke and be away from the doors, but the smell is still present on her clothing. Like Aune, I have asthma. The smell on her clothing is enough to trigger a reaction. It starts off mild with a headache and red, itchy eyes to serious symptoms such as shortness of breath. That is when I have to use my inhaler. For those students who do not understand what asthma is, try sipping peanut butter through a straw. That is how I feel when I have an asthma attack.

There is a solution to solve this problem: asking students if they want a roommate who is a smoker or a non-smoker. It can be asked in the housing contract when new students are filling them out. This simple question would have students breathing a lot easier. After all, do you want to end up in the emergency room struggling to breathe?

Tracy N. Schoemaker
Student