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Whether to ban smoking on campus
is still undecided
By Blaine
Adams
March 3, 2008 | Smoking on campus is not a heated debate.
Of course, most smokers will stand up in protest, and
there are several students who adamantly believe that
no one should smoke, ever. But for most students, the
issue is quiet, and takes a backseat to other campus
concerns.
"I think because it's [the smoking debate] been going
on for so long, students don't know if progress is being
made or are just too used to hearing about it," said
Mehryar Kahn, sophomore.
Utah State University is currently considering banning
the sale or use of tobacco products on campus, reported
the Utah Statesman in an article on Feb. 13. In the
piece, Academic Senate president and sponsor of the
legislation, Kevin Abernethy said, "Secondhand smoke
infringes on the rights of others." (You can read it
here.)
There are two possibilities: a campus where smoking
is prohibited entirely, meaning students would not be
allowed to smoke anywhere on USU property, and designated
smoking areas or "smoke-free zones" where smoking would
not be allowed anywhere near high-traffic areas, such
as on the TSC patio.
"If it came down to a complete ban, I'd rather have
the designated spots," said sophomore Richard Hart.
"It's not fair to the people who [smoke and] live on
campus. I lived on campus last year and I think it's
annoying you have to walk 25 feet away to smoke. I live
in a house now and I can just step outside."
For many student smokers, they see a problem with
any restrictions and worry about the loss of individual
rights.
"There are multiple doors to get into the TSC. It's
a public school and a public place," said sophomore
Daniel Bialpowski.
Concerns for the Edith Bown Elementary School children,
who often walk near the high-traffic areas where smokers
congregate has caused many students to want to ban smoking
completely. But many smokers feel that there's an inconsistency
in USU's attitude.
"They're being inconsistent with their beliefs. They
should ban cars, they should ban unhealthy foods," said
Bialpowski.
Although second-smoke has been proven to be dangerous,
Cache Valley's air quality is not safe, either. According
to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, particulate
matter (PM) in Cache Valley has been proven to be unsafe
as well.
According to their Web site (you can find it here),
"long-term exposures, such as those experienced by people
living for many years in areas with high particle levels,
have been associated with problems such as reduced lung
function and the development of chronic bronchitis.
Numerous studies link particle levels to increased hospital
admissions and emergency room visits. Both long- and
short-term particle exposures have been linked to health
problems."
For many students, this means that although it's never
a good idea to allow more toxins and PM into the air,
there may be bigger respiratory dangers facing USU students
than second-hand smoke.
"They're inconsistent [environmentally]. By doing
this, they're harassing the individual instead of helping
everybody," said Mehryar Kahn, sophomore. "They need
to be entirely consistent."
There's one other crucial issue facing the smoking
ban: Where's the student support? Although many students,
when questioned, said they would enjoy a smoke-free
campus or would support the bill, why are not there
no big demonstrations, no signs or marches?
"[Students on campus] . . . pretend we don't exist.
It's the attitude of 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak
no evil,' said Bialpowski. "But this isn't BYU. It's
a public school. It's part of the college campus."
Hart said, "A lot of students pretend people don't
drink, and pretend people don't smoke. It's already
a dry campus."
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