Proposed smoking ban on campus: two views

No butts are good buts

By: Katrina Brophy

Posted: 3/9/09

As a non-smoker, I am excited that Mercer is considering banning smoking on campus. It will be nice to breathe fresh air and not see cigarette remnants scattered on the walking paths.

Not only is smoking an unpleasant habit, it's a deeply unhealthy habit. Since the late 1980's, smoking has been known to cause a multitude of health problems. According to cancer.org, each year approximately 49,000 non-smoking adults will die from lung cancer, associated from second hand smoke. In addition, smoking is a risk factor for most types of cancer. Let's not forget also about the cellulose, the non-biodegradable component in cigarettes. Cigarette litter ends up in water systems and endangers animals when they mistake it for food.

I avoid situations where I can get cancer. Public places should have smoking bans. If you want to ruin your lungs, wait until you get home. Last year, most smokers at Mercer seemed to be slightly more polite than usual, using the five smoking huts on campus. Smokers seemed to manage themselves just fine at the social smoking huts. Indeed, the smoking huts are supposed to organize and control smoking. However, this year students seem to smoke wherever, and leave their cigarette butts everywhere.

Smoking on campus is a privilege. Many colleges do not allow students to smoke. Mercer students should have followed the generous rules.

If smoking is going to be banned, how will the school enforce this? I'm not optimistic. It may be unfeasible to enforce a ban on campus. I hope our school can progress in terms of policy enforcement, otherwise, everyone is going to smoke wherever and completely forget about the ban. Until Mercer enforces this ban, I will have to break through a wall of smoke to get to class.