We live in a free country where we have free speech and can do almost whatever we want. However, where in the books is there anything saying that people cannot or shouldn’t smoke?
Many U.S. colleges and universities are considering bans of smoking on campuses. Throughout the past decade, smoking bans on college campuses have become more and more frequent in the U.S., according to Suite 101, an online magazine.
One argument for those against smoking on campus is that it will expose nonsmokers to secondhand smoke. While this is true, there are areas on campus where smoking is not allowed so that others are not exposed to the smoke, such as the Schauerman Library and building entrances, among others.
Some want to pass the ban because non-smokers may feel pressured to enter designated smoking areas to socialize with peers. It only takes about five minutes to smoke a cigarette; can non-smokers not wait those five minutes?
Basically, smoking is a legal activity for adults in the U.S. Because of this, adults are allowed to smoke in and around their homes as long as it is not around children under a certain age and where signs are posted, which is logical. If you can’t ban it on one’s personal property, can you ban it in communal areas as long as it is in designated areas?
Banning a legal activity such as smoking may set a precedent for banning other legal activities that are found unfavorable and limiting freedoms granted to students and other members of society.
If smoking can be banned on campus, why not ban the sale of junk food on campus? Those who have diabetes may feel pressure to enter designated areas to socialize with peers and eat with them.
Maybe we should ban meat sold on campus because vegetarians may feel pressured to eat with those who eat meat or even eat meat themselves. Or what about the Cap n Trade Bill? This bill would limit the amount of emissions, but doesn’t stop them. Why only limit emissions but completely ban smoking? Shouldn’t emissions be considered to be banned all together as well?
The best solution to this would be to have a few designated areas on campus for smokers. Setting up a smoke-free perimeter around the entrances of all buildings would help to reach a compromise for both who are for and against smoking on campus.
