HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-03-17 Public Comment - G. Kelley - Smoking ImpactsFrom:glen kelley
To:Agenda
Subject:Suggestion for Mayor & Fire Chief
Date:Monday, July 3, 2017 5:22:38 PM
Attachments:Dear Mayor new .docx
Dear Mayor & Fire Chief
282,600 arson fires, per year in the U.S. 420 civilian deaths, 84% of wild fires are human caused,
verses 16% by lightning.
Due to our ever increasing population, (currently 320 million) resulting in more and more people living
in inaccessible / mountainous areas, combined with projected dryer extreme weather patterns, all
creating additional demand for volunteer fire personnel.
Everyone knows smoking causes harm to our physical body, (Cancer) not so well known, but just as
likely, is mischief to mind & brain tissues, (mental illness) specifically to young developing minds.
Over 90 plus % of all shooters and arsonists are smokers.
SMOKING RATES AMONG SEVERAL GROUPS;
Prisons, (incarcerated) 70 to 85%, Mental Hospitals, 70 to 90%, Alcoholics, 80 to 90%, Homeless,70%,
chronically homeless, (5 to 10%) 90%, Shooters / Arsonists, 95 to 100%, Addiction ctrs.,80 to 98%.
Bipolar, 51 to 70%, Depression, 36 to 70%, Anxiety, 32 to 60%, Schizophrenia, 62 to 90%.
TWO SUGGESTIONS;
(ONE) A policy of not hiring volunteer firemen who smoke, in addition to the prevention of mental
health issues, (starting of fires) this is no job for the stamina challenged.
(TWO) Adding a curb to gun buying on background checks to all smokers. Perhaps a two year
abstention for reentry ? (Life time ban for cheating) This might prove to be a very effective deterrent to
smoking, specifically to adolescent males. A partial answer ? to our city’s “homeless” arsonists.
We know smoking injures every organ in the human body, so it should be no surprise that it damages
out most precious / complex one, our mind. The brain consumes 20% of the oxygen we take in but is
only 2% of body mass. Smoking kills 435,000 a year in this country and almost half of them (200,000)
have mental illness. While Alzheimer’s and Dementias risk increases to 157% over nonsmokers. 795,000
people suffer strokes every year, (rupture or obstruction of a blood vessel of the brain) and a smokers
odds of having a stroke almost doubles that of a nonsmoker. Along with 156,000 cancerous brain
tumors, these speak volumes about its links to mental illness probabilities.
Two of five arrested for arson are under 18 years of age, 90% of adult smokers started in their teens.
Our challenge is to keep kids from ever starting to smoke, (early childhood identification and special
programs) with fresh ideas, perhaps using humor rather than “reason”, because tobacco use is
determined by emotion and rebellion, rather than an informed decision. Along with, convincing
pregnant smokers to stop, ( 400,000 births per year), both with high probability for emotional,
behavioral & mental illness problems.
Hopefully. You can share this with your colleagues