Proposed smoking ban on campus: two views
Ban not practical, misguided
Mike Kay
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Opinion
The current policy designates areas for smoking and hence it quarantines both the offensive smoke and litter from cigarettes. What would happen if smoking was suddenly banned even in these huts? First, the thousands of dollars spent on the structures of the huts themselves would be wasted. Second, because the policy is neither enforceable nor widely favored by the smoking community, it is doubtful that community members would stop smoking on campus.
Because the designated areas would cease to exist, it's not hard to imagine smokers on campus simply lighting up wherever or whenever they choose. This would only increase the amount of second-hand smoke suffered by the rest of the community, and likely increase litter everywhere except at the smoking zones.
Faculty members interviewed (all of whom asked to remain anonymous) raised questions about the purpose of a possible ban. Because there has been no public outcry about the health or litter problems, one faculty member said "this leads me to suspect that the littering is really just a smoke screen for the fact that we've become a rabidly anti-smoking culture. It's gotten to the point that the mere thought of a smoker sets off outrage."
But are smokers just a tiny fraction of the population at Mercer? Roughly thirty full time faculty and staff members smoke, not including adjunct faculty members. A substantial amount of Mercer students smoke, but exact numbers cannot be verified. The issue may seem trivial to nonsmokers but it is one that affects everyone on campus.
Because the designated areas would cease to exist, it's not hard to imagine smokers on campus simply lighting up wherever or whenever they choose. This would only increase the amount of second-hand smoke suffered by the rest of the community, and likely increase litter everywhere except at the smoking zones.
Faculty members interviewed (all of whom asked to remain anonymous) raised questions about the purpose of a possible ban. Because there has been no public outcry about the health or litter problems, one faculty member said "this leads me to suspect that the littering is really just a smoke screen for the fact that we've become a rabidly anti-smoking culture. It's gotten to the point that the mere thought of a smoker sets off outrage."
But are smokers just a tiny fraction of the population at Mercer? Roughly thirty full time faculty and staff members smoke, not including adjunct faculty members. A substantial amount of Mercer students smoke, but exact numbers cannot be verified. The issue may seem trivial to nonsmokers but it is one that affects everyone on campus.
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