Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Should Colleges Ban Smoking?
Time.com reported this week that several colleges have instituted or are considering campus-wide smoking bans. The University of Kentucky is the latest in a list of 365 U.S. colleges and universities that have banned smoking both indoors and out. These schools seem to feel that banning smoking is the best way to create a healthy environment for all students.I am by no means a smoker and I am all for promoting healthy life choices, but something about this story makes me bristle. First of all, the more you outlaw something, the more appealing you make it to rebellious co-eds. Secondly, there are a lot of other, seriously unhealthy behaviors going on at colleges: binge drinking, sexual assault, hard drug use, and eating disorders to name a few. I’d rather see schools put some real effort into dealing these problems. Finally, you can’t force other people to make healthy choices.
College students are old enough to make their own decisions and learn from their own mistakes. If schools begin to regulate students’ smoking habits, will they also regulate their diet and exercise routines? As one student quoted in the Time article said, “If they truly want a culture of health, I expect them to go through all our cafeterias and get rid of all our Taco Bells, all our pizza places.” He has a fair point.
What do you think? Should schools outlaw smoking or is this going too far?
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About the Author
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- From: lindsaya
- Name: lindsaya
- About Me: I am a teacher/writer who lives in New York city and I am always on the go. In between my various jobs, obligations, and activities, I try to make time to lead a healthy and balanced life. I love to run, swim, do yoga, and try new activities. I am also a long-time vegetarian who is constantly struggling between my desire to eat healthy foods and my love of all things made out of bread or covered in cheese!
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Comments (90)
yes! because everytime i try to walk through a door outside, all i get is a puff of smoke and which is call second hand smoking and you can get cancer from that. second it make you cough when you are trrying to walk to class outside and you get smoke in your lungs. i think we should just ban smoking altogehter. i mean what good does it do for anyone
Apparently, being a smoker in college is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make friends. And if it really is all about the social connections you make...
There are a lot of other, seriously unhealthy behaviors going on at
colleges: binge drinking, sexual assault, hard drug use, and eating
disorders to name a few. I’d rather see schools put some real effort
into dealing these problems.
Yes. I so so so agree with this point. I really do hate being around a smoking area, but I feel like placing too much emphasis on this singular issue alone when it's probably the least college campuses have to worry detracts from the major issues that need attention (and even funding or help to prevent it).
If they do, then it should be for EVERYONE not just students. It's not fair when they only do things for students. My college has banned smoking by the buildings. I'm glad. I hated walking into that toxic muck going to class & irritating my asthma.
WHAT? fuck no! omg! noooo!!!
if they ban smoking, why not ban alcohol, and anything else that makes you feel good but may possibly (with binge-consuming) cause harm to your body, like cupcakes, and sex (why not right.) oh and maybe start banning coffee too...
fucking rediculous!
Smoking bans don't work. I don't like them b/c now the smokers on campus leave their nasty cigg butts on the ground and litter all over.
I think this is ridiculous. Completely agree that there are many more health issues to focus on. The lack of healthy food on campus is way more of a concern for me than the smokers. I don't think banning smoking would be productive at all. If you don't want to be around smoke, don't stand where the smokers are.
I like my schools rules. No smoking inside buildings and you need to be at least 20 feet away from an entrance before you can light up.
I think it's ok for colleges to ban smoking around buildings, especially since these buildings are public, but putting a college-wide ban on them isn't right. Non-smokers have the full ability to keep out of the line of smoke when they are required to smoke 20 feet from all doorways. There's no reason to punish people for their completely legal habit.
Besides, smoking can and more than likely will kill someone, but not any faster than say, binge drinking, drug abuse, poor driving habits, or poor sexual habits. I think more than anything, it's the easiest to pick on.
I mean as far as drinking, I live on a dry campus... you get suspended if you're found with alcohol, and you get 3 strikes before you're kicked out of school for good. (this includes if you get a citation at another university... doesn't matter where.) so alcohol is technically banned here.
I only ever wish smoking were banned when I'm walking behind or past someone who smokes... it's fucking gross. but the more I consider it I realize, college students have a lot of stress so I'm not suprised so many smoke... it would probably just be a more tense environment if it were banned. as far as smoking here, people are supposed to stand 25 feet away from all buildings... but now especially in the cold weather, NO ONE abides by that rule. it's obnoxious.
as far as all of the other problems- those are things that schools can't really address, as they don't happen in public and policies wouldn't be possible to enforce. smoking however? is always public and affects everyone's health, not just the health of the smokers. however, if we were to ban smoking on college campuses because it affects student's health, why not ban it everywhere ever... because it doesn't only affect college students?
ugh complicated.
My college has already banned smoking.
@MangoWOW@xanga - word - makes sense
People should have the right to smoke. Indoors, I can understand. The whole second hand smoke thing is unfair. Outside ? It's their lives.
Inside yes, but outside definately not. Colleges are there to educate, not to control people's lives. Most people in college are over 18 and can make their own choices.
non smokers can easily avoid smokers, and its not like youre going to die instantly from second hand smoke.
some people have mentioned smoing as obnoxious, but as a smoker, i think that belligerant non-smokers are obnoxious and extremely rude...harassing even. with their fake coughs and rude comments while im trying to just have a relaxing moment and escape a stressful day. the last thing i need is a ban on cigs to make people even more fucking annoying. i think it would just cause non-smokers (who are like really rude about it) to harass the smokers even more.
im so against this i commented twice haha
its completley legal, and even if it wasnt, people would still do it. so non smokers need to just calm the hell down hahaha
Going too far. They can have no smoking policies indoors, but outdoors, forget it.
Furthermore, students of legal drinking age should be allowed to possess alcohol on campus, however make it clear they are not to furnish alcohol to minors. If they get caught doing just that, give 'em hell.
Extending, I also believe that licensed carriers should be allowed to concealed carry on campus.
My college has already banned it. It's been that way for quite a few years. I like it that way. I don't want smoke blown in my face and all around me. Plus, I go to a private college so that is their choice to make that ban. Plus, there are certain areas they can smoke, just off of school property. If a student doesn't like this, they don't have to go to my school. There are plenty of other schools around that don't have a ban.
I think at the very least they could not have the smoking sections directly outside of the doors.
I think the campuses are trying to cut down on things that have an effect on other people. For instance, I have mild asthma. I had to use my inhaler almost daily when my campus allowed smoking because people would stand directly in front of the door and create massive smoke crowds. Even some of the smokers complained about this.
The policy in general is not so weird to me because in Arkansas it's actually against the law to smoke in most places unless they require you to be 21 to enter. Most restaurants don't have smoking sections or outside ashtrays anymore.
As far as the other things that you mentioned go, most schools have
policies against binge drinking, and sexual assault is against the law
anyway so I'm not quite sure where you were going with that one unless you meant that their efforts could be put to better use? In that case I agree, but I think that most institutions would focus more on a crime than a regulation violation anyway. Any campus that I have ever been on has cracked down on all assaults, binge drinking, and underage drinking. Eating disorders are hardly a violation of any law or policy. That's like saying that a student with anxiety is doing something wrong. That said, many campuses have free mental health facilities or counselors that can help you get free or affordable help off campus so that's also addressed (at least at both universities that I went to).
Anyway, they aren't telling the students that they can't smoke at all, they're just treating the campus as a single public institution, and I see nothing wrong with that. The student can still smoke, they can still eat McDonald's, and they can still drink themselves silly if they so choose. Plus, I like the fact that I can walk to class without having to breathe in tons of second hand smoke or having to walk way out of my way to avoid the people that are too lazy to move from out in front of the main entrance to smoke. It's a pain.
@tsunami_kid@xanga - I agree with you there. There is no reason to be obnoxious about it either. My only issues are with the ones that stand directly in front of a door when there is a smoking area close by or the ones that get all pissy when you ask them not to smoke in your car/house/whatever. That said, I think that obnoxious people are just obnoxious people no matter how you spin it. Those same people are probably the ones that tripped people that were carrying lunch trays when they were younger whether they're a smoker or a nonsmoker now.
No! Its smokers CHOICE to smoke. If people dont like the smell, they can avoid smokers. Or make a smoking section. Kids are smart enough to know cigarettes are bad if they are going to college, and they choose to smoke anyway. LET THEM SMOKE. You dont have to support it, but don't ban it!
I think that is what designated smoking spots are for. So that authorities DON'T feel like they have to control every move that seems unhealthy, plus it's more considerate. I don't mind smokers who smoke on their own time, or away from me. Heck, most of my friends are avid smokers, but I just hate it when assholes walk as they smoke, especially in a crowded place or when it's windy because it's just so goddamn hard to avoid. And the people walking behind them/near them are the ones who have to face the aftermath. Smoke is pretty disgusting and hard to breathe in when you're not a smoker.
But honestly, I think that the campus has a right to designate spots/limit where smoking is allowed to a further extent, but to ban it alltogether is a little overboard. Really.
No, No, NO, smoking is a freedom, its a right. Should we be banned from chewing gum to. After all people step on gum and it winds up on carpeting. What about McDonalds, the food leads to obesity and heart attacks across america. This shit is rediculous, what other forms of social control should government institute. Its bad enough people can't smoke in bars, which is also bullshit. If i want to allow smoking in my bar and people don't like it, go elsewhere and vice versa. Its a free and capitolist country. If people want to smoke, or drink, or do crack its their bodies who should have the right to tell them otherwise. And who are you to tell me or anyone else what I can or cannot do to myself. I am usually not this politically vocal, but my nerves have been juiced lately.. I thought our governing bodies were created to assure the rights, powers, and freedoms to the people, not govern them in every way they live..
@MangoWOW@xanga - my college has the same rules. too bad people don't follow them half the time.
@nomansart@xanga - amen
Our campus has banned smoking. It doesn't work. There is no way to enforce it on such a large scale. When people are caught there really isn't much that can be done other than to tell them to put it out. And with no ash trays outside, there are cig. butts littering the ground. It may look great on paper, but it makes the campus look disgusting.