University Park, Pa. -- Penn State student Patrick Murphy, a senior architectural engineering major with a specialization in indoor air ventilation, took his campaign for smoke-free bars and restaurants all the way to the state capital on Tuesday (Sept. 27).
Murphy, the co-leader of Penn State Students for Tobacco Awareness (PSSTA), testified before the Pennsylvania Senate's Health and Welfare Committee in support of the Clean Indoor Air Act (SB 602) in order to stress the negative health impact of second-hand smoke on the student employees in Pennsylvania bars and restaurants.
He also highlighted the results from an October 2004 Penn State Pulse survey focusing on student smoking, which shows overwhelming student support for smoke-free environments.
During his testimony, Murphy, a Schreyer Honors College scholar, spoke of this tremendous support of smoke-free bars, and the right and desire of student bar and restaurant staff to work in a healthy environment.
"Given the nature of the bill, we wanted to focus on the health of these workers who have to endure up to eight-hour shifts in smoky workplaces," he said.
"Patrick's testimony was an invaluable contribution to the hearing because his testimony gave bar and restaurant employees who are college students a voice in the legislative process," said Linda LaSalle, coordinator of educational services for Penn State's University Health Services and adviser to the PSSTA.
PSSTA has been leading a highly visible smoke-free bar initiative on campus and throughout the downtown State College area, providing "I support smoke-free bars" stickers and buttons to passer-bys who are in support of clean indoor air. The visibility of this campaign, as well as the strength of the data captured in the Pulse survey, recently influenced four establishments in State College to offer smoke-free nights.
The PSSTA intends to spread the smoke-free message further, convincing more bar owners to offer smoke-free nights, with the long-term goal of eliminating smoking in bars and restaurants altogether.
Murphy's involvement with tobacco awareness is both personal and academic, he said. The opportunity to testify was as much a learning experience for him as it was a practical measure to promote the PSSTA's goals.
"The experience of working for PSSTA and testifying before the Senate committee has helped develop skills, perspectives and values that I hope to carry throughout life."
In addition to being a co-leader of Penn State Students for Tobacco Awareness and the Smoke-Free Bar Campaign, Murphy is the smoke-free bars chair for Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) and, on behalf of the PSSTA, has worked closely with local organizations such as The American Cancer Society and Centre County Tobacco Coalition to move forward on clean indoor air legislation.
Students or community members interested in getting involved with the campaign for smoke-free bars and restaurants, can contact Murphy at pbm119@psu.edu
"At least pick up a sticker from us on your way to downtown establishments every weekend," Murphy urged. "Like we say, 'Bar owners don't think you care; complain to them about their smoky air.'"
For more information about the smoke-free campaign, visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/ohpe/smokefree.cfm online, and to learn more about the Penn State Pulse survey Murphy cited in his testimony, go to http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/pulse.shtml