Editorial: Support Smoke Free Farmers’ Markets by Jocelyne

A smoke-free environment is a healthier environment for our communities. A place where people would always like to live in is a clean and safe environment. One of the things people like to improve is their eating habits and for that they visit farmers’ markets for healthier food options such as fruits and vegetables. All these people go there hoping that they might benefit their health, but what if that place is really not as clean and fresh as people would think?

This is what happens when the area is full with cigarette smoke and the fresh fruits, vegetables, and people are exposed to the smoke.

            Farmers’ markets should be smoke-free because everyone and everything would be exposed to secondhand smoke. People exposed to secondhand smoke are in more danger than the actual smokers. Second hand smoke causes as much as 3,000 deaths from lung cancer and 46,000 deaths from heart disease every year in the US. Being around irresponsible smokers can cause other serious problems for victims. In farmers’ markets, children or pets may pick them up swallowing them, choking on them or even burning themselves with them.. Cigarette butts contain up to 60 known carcinogens.

Victims of this can be anyone, even children, who by being exposed to secondhand smoke can suffer bronchitis, asthma attacks, eye irritation, coughing, ear infection, pneumonia, and colds.