The Pennsylvania statewide ban of smoking on campus is a step in the right direction for all college campuses.

In fact, all 14 of Pennsylvania’s state university campuses are smoke-free environments.

Students now have to walk all the way to the parking lots outside of campus if they want to smoke a cigarette.

While there were many peaceful protests on colleges, many students, both smokers and nonsmokers, actually supported the ban and many smokers were more than willing to take a walk off campus to smoke their cigarettes.

The statewide ban was implemented by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in September of 2008.

Here on campus, one can find many groups of smokers standing outside class buildings and food stores.

No matter where campus students go, it’s almost impossible not to inhale cigarette smoke.

Most nonsmokers and even some who do smoke tend to dislike the smell of cigarette smoke.

People with asthma or allergies often suffer and have negative reactions due to smokers.

When around a group of smokers, the smell can seep into clothes, backpacks and other such items with odors that are nearly impossible to wash out.

Not only is smoking annoying and displeasing, it is also very dangerous to one’s health.

People may have the misconception that secondhand smoking is less dangerous or not dangerous at all, when really it is quite the opposite.

Secondhand smoke, also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) causes lung cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, coronary heart disease and more.

It is not fair that the people who smoke, who are aware that smoking is dangerous and unhealthy, should be able to smoke wherever they want on campus.

People on campus who do not smoke should not have to suffer the consequences of secondhand smoking.

If EC were to ban smoking on campus, it would help cut back on the amount of cigarettes that a smoker smokes.

At the end of the day, banning smoking on campus will make the campus a much healthier and cleaner place for all students and faculty.