Where there is smoke there is fire, and where there is not supposed to be any smoke there is still fire.
Southwestern College’s smoking policy has some members of the faculty lit up. Some argue it is time to snuff out cigarettes on campus once and for all, others insist that it is their right to smoke. Cigarette butts on the ground indicate there is still plenty of smoking on the campus.
“If we have a policy then we need to have some kind of enforcement,” said Walt Justice, Professor of School of Health, and Exercise Science & Athletics.
“If we’re not going to enforce it, then we need to bring back the ash trays.”
Three years ago SWC officials placed benches and ashtrays in designated smoking areas outside of the core of the campus near the parking lots. Recently, though, emboldened smokers are creeping back into the center of campus. Professor of English Phil Lopez disagrees with the anti-smoking rules on campus.
Eric Maag, professor of communication, said smoking areas need to be better designed. “There should be designated smoking areas inside of the campus premises so that students can smoke before their classes without having to walk outside of the circle, and where nonsmokers won’t be affected,” he said.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States, according to a 2008 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. It causes many different cancers as well as chronic lung diseases such as emphysema, bronchitis and heart disease. Smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths each year, including 49,400 deaths due to exposure of secondhand smoke, according to the CDC report.
“I have asthma and allergies and the secondhand smoke is damaging my health,” said Justice. “I don’t smoke, why should my health be at risk?”
Maag, a smoker, said the rights of students need to be considered in the smoking policy.
“Maybe the school should have an educational campaign where they let students know the health risks,” said Maag. “Working with students and helping them get off of their addiction is better than saying get off campus. We don’t think you have the right, but students pay tuition, so they have rights, too.”
