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Poetter Hall was purchased by the SCAD founders in March 1979. Classes began in September of that year.  
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Trivial Pursuits

Trivial Pursuits
 
Use smoking ban as incentive to quit


 


By Monique Bos
Published: Friday, July 8, 2005

As of July 1, a new smoking ban took effect in Georgia. The law, approved by the state legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue, stipulates that most businesses, as well as any restaurant that serves or employs people under 18, must prohibit smoking inside.

According to a press release issued by the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association, polls have “consistently shown that over 70 percent of Georgians support the new law, and statistics from other states that have already gone smoke-free seem to substantiate such support.”

According to the ALA’s Web site, www.lungusa.org, smoking-related diseases are responsible for an estimated 440,000 deaths in the United States every year, and smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable health issues. U.S. healthcare costs related to smoking total more than $150 billion annually.

Supporters of the Georgia law emphasize the harmful effects of tobacco not only on people who choose to smoke but on those who opt not to. Ninety percent of lung-cancer deaths are directly related to smoking, and 3,000 nonsmokers each year die of lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke. In addition, every year 35,000 nonsmokers die of heart-related ailments triggered by secondhand smoke.

Perhaps most sobering are the statistics about how smoking affects babies and young children. Ten percent of all infant deaths, including an annual 1,900 to 2,700 from sudden infant death syndrome, are attributed to secondhand smoke.

For smokers who see the new ban as an incentive to quit, a number of resources are available. The ALA offers brochures targeted to various age groups and ethnicities that address topics such as controlling weight, managing stress, developing an effective strategy for quitting, supporting a friend or family member who is trying to quit, and understanding metabolic changes caused by nicotine addiction. For more information, call (800) LUNGUSA.

In addition, the Center for Student Counseling and Disability Services offers a four-week Tobacco Cessation Group for members of the Savannah College of Art and Design community and the public who want to stop smoking. The program is available on request, and both individuals and groups may schedule sessions by calling (912) 525-6971.