Public Health is found in many places. Whether it is a public restroom, an ambulance, no-smoking signs and garbage cans, they are everywhere you go. The four of us found a "NO SMOKING" sign in an elevator at Avalon Heights (apartment complex). We have seen multiple people in the area and even coming out of the elevator that were smoking. It should be common knowledge that smoking produces lung cancer but there are other possible outcomes such as emphysema, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, heart attacks and general discomfort while trying to breathe. Especially in a small space such as an elevator where there are no windows or ventilation, the smoke affects everyone more than it would in an open space. Also, people with asthma who are stuck in an elevator with a smoker are more prone to an attack. Even after the smoker leaves, there is a lingering smell of smoke. In order to prevent hazardous, harmful toxins, state and federal law prohibit smoking in all elevators. If someone is caught smoking in an elevator they are fined $500 for a second degree misdemeanor. By us putting the big, bright red sticker directly under the “NO SMOKING” sign it brings attention to this and lets people realize what public health really is and will hopefully discourage people form smoking. Maybe it will also get people thinking about what else public health could be in other parts of their every day lives such as eating right, exercising, and managing stress in better ways than smoking.
After reading this post, I feel that I can recall numerous times that I’ve seen a person walking off an elevator with a lit cigarette in their hand. Since I’m a non-smoker I’ve never really noticed the sign that is located in the elevator describing the consequences if a person is caught smoking in an elevator. However after reading the repercussions of smoking in an elevator it is unfathomable to me that a person would see that sign and continue to smoke inside. I think that the red public health sticker really draws attention to the small white sign and will hopefully make more people aware that smoking in a small environment such as an elevator can be detrimental to everyone else.
ReplyDeleteVonte' Sampson: This blog caught my attention because I have asthma and I know how being around too much smoke can make you feel if you have health problems. I never paid attention to the signs in elevators but I do realize how beneficial they are. I feel that the no smoking signs in elevators is a way of preventing possible health problems being that prevention is one of public health's main goals for the community.
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, I realized that I never noticed the ''No Smoking'' sign on elevators. I think that, that was a great choice, because now more people are aware including me. I remember one time when I was walking by a elevator and a women walked out smelling so strongly of cigarettes. I'm sure she probably didn't see the sign, or maybe she did but I think the signs should be bigger. They are very helpful, when it comes to the environment and the people within the environment.
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