The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 27, 2006, Page 3, Image 3
California becomes first state to declare secondhand smoke a pollutant
Don Thompson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
California became the first
state to declare secondhand
smoke a toxic air pollutant
Thursday, putting tobacco
fumes in the same category
as diesel exhaust, arsenic
and benzene because of its
link to breast cancer.
The unanimous decision
by the state Air Resources
Board relied on a September
report that found a sharply
increased risk of breast
cancer in young women
exposed to secondhand
smoke. It also links drifting
smoke to premature births,
asthma and heart disease,
as well as other cancers and
numerous health problems
in children.
“If people are serious
about breast cancer, they
have to deal with secondhand
smoke. That’s what this is
all about,” said Dr. Stanton
Glantz, director of the
Center for Tobacco Control,
Research and Education at
the University of California,
San Francisco.
“This is a seminal,
international document,”
Glantz said. “It’s impossible
to underestimate what a big
deal this is.”
The report by scientists
at California’s Office of
Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment drew
on more than 1,000 other
studies of secondhand smoke
and blamed the fumes for
4,000 deaths each year in
California from lung cancer
or heart disease alone.
The most significant
new finding cited by state
officials is that young women
exposed to secondhand
smoke increase their risk
of developing breast cancer
between 68 percent and 120
percent. The disease kills
about 40,000 women in the
United States each year.
CIRQUE • COnTinUED PROfTl I
audience, then moving onto
the stage and making wild,
exaggerated gestures.
The only thing with four
legs on this stage was a
mime, who controlled two
prosthetic legs in a wholly
alien vignette that whetted
the audience’s palette for the
rest of the show.
“It was a new form
of theater,” said Lesley
Firestone, a second-year
sociology student, “As a
theater minor, I was able to
appreciate (this) different
kind of theater.”
Certainly different and
even more exhilarating was
contortionist Undarmaa
Gold, who thrilled
the audience with her
unbelievable, seemingly
bone-crunching maneuvers.
Her performance ended in
a crescendo of whistles, yells
and shouts of the gushing
crowd.
“That was insane,” said
fifth-year biology student
Lynn White, “It was painful
to watch.”
First-year public relations
student Anne Parsons said,
“I need to get myself one of
those catsuits.”
Overall, students received
well Cirque Voila’s foreign
inspired and ornamented
appeal.
“It was like Cirque du
Soleil oti a student’s budget,”
said Justin Kuhns, a fifth
year visual communications
student.
Some international
students, who might draw
parallels between Voila’s
atmosphere and the well
traveled Canadian circus,
were pleased with this
rendition.
Orayir Aldawsar, a Saudi
Arabian student . through
the English Programs for
Internationals curriculum,
was captivated.
“It is my first event in
America,” Aldawasari said, “I
am here to look and see new
things. When I heard about
it, I ran to the Russell House
and got tickets. I think it’s
exciting.”
Dan Sizer is a second
year international business
student and resident advisor
in the Carolina Global
Community.
“Our group likes to do
events together. It was
something the school
offered,
It would be fun and that
everybody in the group can
appreciate it and enjoy it,”
Sizer said.
Third-year film studies
student Chris Williams
agrees the show is different.
“It’s pretty interesting ...
definitely a different circus.”
“They seem to be taking
music from many popular
movies, * like ‘Roxanne’
jErom ‘Moulin Rouge’ and
‘Techno Opera’ from ‘Fifth
Element,”’ Williams said.
“I think it is so awesome.
It exceeded my expectations.
I seriously have never seen
anything like it before,” said
Ashton Barnhill, a second
year Business student.
And unlike the age-old
Ringling Brothers circus
that has wowed audiences
for decades and did so again
two blocks from the Koger
Center but a week before,
Cirque Voila had nary a
pachyderm nor furry beast
to make a show.
“I thought there would
be elephants, like a regular
circus. But I’m a 100 percent
satisfied,” said Liz Logan,
a first-year undecided
student.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocknews@gwm. sc. edu
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