Chinese Student Goes to Extreme Lengths to Avoid Secondhand Smoke From Roommates

July 5, 2016

One Chinese university student found a way to avoid having to breathe secondhand smoke produced by his roommates.

The simple invention uses a cardboard box to accommodate the head which then connects to a series of waste bags. The last bag opens for air blown by an electric fan, providing ventilation for the user. Unfortunately, it’s not very impressive during the winter, since cold air blows and numbs the user’s face.

The creator, who goes by the username Shandianzhililiang, illustrated the mechanism:

Secondhand smoke affects people from all ages, causing a slew of complications not limited to respiratory conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is a precursor to lung cancer, heart disease and stroke among adults, while children can suffer respiratory infections, ear infections, asthma attacks and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Tobacco has over 7,000 chemicals and it could not get any better. Vaping, often assumed as the better alternative, is found to alter 358 genes – over six times more than regular cigarette smoking.

As per CCTV News, statistics reveal more than 740 million Chinese people exposed to secondhand smoke. Eighteen cities in the country have imposed smoking regulations in line with the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Framework Convention, the outlet said.

While Shandianzhililiang’s project amuses many, some called for bigger action to finally solve the problem. Shanghaiist quotes few users on Weibo as saying:

“Smoking in the dormitory is very dangerous because it will likely cause conflagration. Universities should prohibit students from smoking in the dormitories.”

“Students should go outside the dormitories to smoke. Please respect non-smoker students!”

One student describes the ordeal, which could as well speak for the rest of non-smokers:

“Living with students who smoke is like a torture. When I was a university student, I was once awoken by the smoke coming from my roommates. All my clothes, the bed and my towels smelled of cigarette. I’m just glad that I no longer have to live in that dormitory.”

Another had a suggestion (via Daily Mail): “When enrolling in college, you should have to fill out a form so they can see who smokes and who is a night owl.”

Shandianzhililiang’s invention is a temporary patch, but maybe he isn’t the one needing isolation after all.

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