Smoking Ban: No, I don’t want to see your cigarette butt

Written by Janae Hagen Tuesday, 27 October 2009 08:00

Last week while walking to class, I experienced a scenario which made it very clear how badly NDSU needs to be smoke-free.

Someone walking about 10 feet in front of me was smoking. Three girls were headed towards us, and as they passed the smoker, one of the girls coughed in an obviously fake manner. When they passed me, one said, “That’s exactly why NDSU needs to be smoke-free.”

NDSU is one of the last hold-outs of college campuses in North Dakota that has not gone smoke-free. UND, Minot State, Jamestown College and others have already snuffed out their campuses’ cigarettes.

Just last week, the American College Health Association released a statement urging campuses to go smoke-free and provided guidelines for how to do so. 

NDSU has been battling this for years now. What began as a petition has now grown into a full-fledged movement. 

In last spring’s special election, a record number of students – nearly 4,000 – overwhelmingly showed their support for a smoke-free campus.

This week, staff and faculty have the opportunity to have their voice heard on the proposed ban. 

Student Government and other student leaders have been canvassing departments, hand-delivering brochures describing the benefits of a smoke-free campus and emphasizing how badly the students want this.

Although this is the most overly used phrase at NDSU, if “students are paramount” like administrators say they are, then staff and faculty will stand by the students’ wishes. 

It’s a student-led, student-driven initiative that has been visibly growing for at least three years now; it’s about time it finally got passed.

Now, I’m not saying people can’t smoke if they feel like lighting up. Just please, don’t do it on campus.

Study after study list statistics and facts about the dangers of smoking and dangers of secondhand smoke.

I Googled “dangers of smoking” and got 3.2 million hits, the Center for Disease Control alone has 11,500 different resources regarding smoking and tobacco usage.

Education about the dangers of smoking is as commonplace as education regarding drinking and driving and other reckless behavior. 

People who take those warnings seriously shouldn’t have to contend with breathing in other people’s smoke when walking between classes.

Sure there are concerns about enforcement and undoubtedly there are a number of faculty and staff members who have smoked their entire lives and aren’t willing to give it up. 

That’s why, along with the smoking ban, NDSU needs to provide resources that can help people quit.

A smoking ban wouldn’t impede on people’s quality of life on campus – really, it would be doing smokers a favor. 

A smoke-free environment would reduce the temptation to grab a cigarette and the hope is that it would encourage smokers to make the healthy choice to quit. 

Smokers and non-smokers alike will be healthier – and certainly smell better – by having a smoke-free campus. 

Want to hear the other side of the argument? Check it out here.