The OSU campus was buzzing Tuesday with the news of a tobacco-free campus. The O’Collegian gave some of the student body a chance to vent against or to praise the July 1 deadline.
“It’s a bad idea because if you are addicted to it, you need to smoke anyway. I don’t smoke personally, but teachers and students that do are hampered by their own habit. The people that made this decision probably don’t smoke anyway, so it’s unfair.”
—Stephen Sartin, a psych and philosophy junior
“I’m for it because I hate the smell of smoke. When I come out of buildings, that’s the first thing I smell.”
—Stephanie Roberts, an accounting freshman
“I think an occasional smoke helps calm you down. If you get out of a rough class and it’s raining, I don’t want to have to mess with going to a specific area to smoke when I’m on my way to another class.”
—Austin Jones, a mechanical engineering sophomore
“I don’t smoke, but the campus going tobacco-free is a little drastic. It doesn’t bother me if people are smoking outside.”
—Eric Marshall, a business sophomore
“I don’t like walking through smoke. It messes up my allergies.”
—Whitney Chamberland, a child and family services junior
“I don’t feel it’s something that affects me personally, but I don’t feel there’s a particular reason to ban it.”
—Jeff Brown, a political science senior
“I personally wouldn’t want to be around smoke in closed areas, but as long as I don’t have to be around it I don’t really care.”
—Rachel Jones, an industrial engineering freshman
“I don’t like cigarettes, but I’m not sure completely banning them is the way to go.”
—Brent Boyle, a business senior
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This ban will make the air a bit cleaner for those walking around campus (assuming they are at least 25 feet away from buildings, that is), but this is terrifically unfair for those who are truly addicted.
When a smoker goes without a cigarette for too long, this greatly increases their tension and anxiety. Quitting is more difficult for those who have been smoking longer, so this affects some people who may have been working here for 10+ years. The combination of those two observations may cause current employees to look for work elsewhere.
Do we really want to scare off some of our most experienced faculty or staff just because they have a bad habit?
I understand the concept of eliminating offensive odors all over campus. I do have a couple of questions.
1. Why not isolate the smoking locations, make hefty penalties for smoking outside of those locations and commission the parking nazis to enforce it?
2. Why should this be a blanket ban on tobacco? Smokeless tobacco is generally not offensive or harmeful to others. I’ve never heard of second hand chewing.
I think this is just another OSU publicity stunt.
If OSU is going to ban something, why not ban Preacher Bob? Or maybe ban unpopular Presidents from speaking at graduation.
Why not ban the credit card people from giving away free t-shirts for high interest credit cards?
Why not ban the military recruiters? They can get you killed faster than smoking.