Undoubtedly, smokers everywhere gasped at the news that University of Idaho President Chuck Staben intends to implement a campus-wide tobacco ban by fall 2015.
The proposed tobacco ban reflects the good intentions of the university to improve the health of both smokers and nonsmokers alike — due to the known negative health effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke.
Despite the good intentions, a full tobacco ban doesn’t reflect the reality of campus life.
Many are concerned about smoking on campus, and the effect it has on nonsmokers though secondhand smoke.
If the campus was turning into a chimney, it would make sense to ban smoking to simply clear the air. But it’s not, and this potential ban is an overreaction to a minimal problem.
Fortunately, smokers at UI appear to be respectful of the campus community. Despite a lack of enforcement for the current smoking perimeter that requires smokers to be further than 25 feet from all building entrances, buildings at UI are free from harmful clouds of smoke by entrances and exits. If smokers are not endangering other’s health and violating the existing policy, it would be unjust to remove the right to smoke completely. Furthermore, if a campus-wide ban went into effect, there wouldn’t be any reasonable way for the university to enforce it.
The university can take simpler steps toward solving the issue of tobacco use on campus.
They could start by enforcing the current smoking policy, and moving metal ash collectors outside of the smoke-free building perimeter to encourage smokers to follow the current policy and help address the issue of tobacco-related litter. Increasing the size and number of ash collectors would also give smokers more opportunities to dispose of trash and help keep campus cleaner.
Students also need to follow the current tobacco policy, and properly dispose of tobacco-related products. Arguing against a complete tobacco ban is pointless if administrators are greeted with littered cigarette butts and smell nothing but smoke across campus.
Whatever happens, this seems to be an issue of bloated significance. While there are many smokers at UI, people on campus aren’t walking through plumes of smoke any more often than they are when they’re off campus.
–AE