CASE News

February 22, 2008
The Standard, Missouri State University, Springfield
Letter: SMASH adviser responds to criticism
By Allison Wilson

In response to Maxwell's letter last Friday, SMASH would like to clarify and explain why we chose the KISS ME Campaign held on Valentine's Day.

Maxwell raised some very good points and concerns about potentially creating a divide between smokers and non-smokers. All of his concerns were also raised in our SMASH planning meetings for the event. We especially looked at Mizzou,Truman, and Rolla, who have groups like SMASH, and at their positive experiences on doing the KISS ME Campaign last year.

Our intention was to paint a positive image of non-smokers rather than a negative image of smokers. Many other schools have found that students start smoking in college because they think it will make them cool, sexy, and fit in. Our campaign's purpose was to combat this by emphasizing the positive benefits of not smoking and not starting. Rather than using scare tactics, we tried to focus on things that college students care about now - kissing, looking good, and feeling good.

We specifically never used the words "non-smokers are better than smokers" and avoided any printed words that put the two groups against each other. The facts on the hershey kisses at our event were all from reputable medical sources explaining the health benefits of not smoking and the benefits of smoke free air.

The survey statistic, "If all things were equal, 87.5% of Missouri State students would prefer to kiss a non-smoker," on the t-shirt was from a Partners in Prevention Missouri State campus survey last spring - we just reported the majority opinion on campus.

Although education about the dangers of secondhand smoke on campus is our primary goal, we also promote the health benefits of not smoking and serve as a resource for those who want to quit. At our KISS ME Event, we tried to do this and had information on free cessation counseling for students.

SMASH appreciates Maxwell's and other smokers' concerns and hopes this response helped address them. We apologize for any misconceptions or division this may have caused and will take this into consideration for future events. We reiterate again that we welcome anyone to our Tuesday meetings at 12:30pm (PSU 3rd floor) to work together towards a healthier campus.