By: Toni-Ann Hall
On March 19, the University System of Georgia announced that they would be implementing a tobacco and smoke-free campus policy in order to promote “a Healthy environment.” This policy will go in to effect on October 1, 2014 and will be inclusive of all events held by the university, applies to everyone on campus property from the chain down, and will be operational 24/7, according to the release posted on the University System of Georgia website.
The KSU Department of Residence Life implemented their own policy banning tobacco products that went into effect the day that residents moved in. For most freshman, there’s nothing surprising about it, as they are in a new environment, and this is possibly unfortunately just how things are run at Kennesaw. It’s the “But we could do it before” and the “But it’s not even October 1,” self-proclaimed “Don’t tread on me” activists that don’t take heed to this policy change. It makes the transition to the October 1 date a lot smoother if residents are used to not being able to smoke on campus at all, but to many, it’s just another “right” being stripped away.
I’m not even a smoker, and this policy worried me. Initially, my first thoughts were, “How are they allowed to do this?” But, that’s self-explanatory and these kinds of restrictions have been present elsewhere in hotels, restaurants, and other typical areas before the USG decided to take hold of it and apply it on a state-wide basis. So I get it. If colleges are meant to educate, and be an environment where knowledge, insight, and an abridgment of some of life’s hardest lessons, why not prevent members and guests of the community from hurting themselves through use of tobacco. I could also argue that there are far more things that are harmful, that would be too much of a nuisance to turn into a policy, and that because smoking is such a prominent trend that is gaining national attention, they felt the need to lay down these rules.
Despite the dangers of smoking, people should be allowed to make their own decisions, but this rule should not be put into a class of its own. Yes, it seems unfair and sudden, but the purpose isn’t to pull all the cigarettes and vapors out of the mouths of its users. Even if someone is just a casual smoker, tobacco is addictive, and there are steps being taken to address the concerns of those who are struggling and actively seeking ways to quit. An article in The New York Times states that the Finish It campaign takes a “less rebellious tone” in addressing this manner, with commercials that read statistical data such as, “In 2000, 23 percent of teens smoked. Today, only 9 percent of teens smoke. That’s less than the number of VHS tapes sold in 2013. It’s less than the number of landlines still in use. But the fight isn’t over.” Maybe this is what people expect – nice, clean numbers, and a “Let’s fight this together approach.” It never seemed inconvenient to me to simply avoid smoke because I’m sensitive to it, it was just a personal decision. I don’t believe that it infringes upon any rights, more than restaurants stating that anyone who enters must be wearing shoes and proper clothing, but it’s the principle of the normalcy and culture within the community that seems to be attacked.
This policy was bound to take place, and hopefully it will reap more positive than negative results. It’s not to tell people what they can and cannot do to their bodies, but where they can and cannot do those things. The USG has the power to make those decisions, and honestly if students, faculty, construction workers, visiting parents, and any other individuals present on the included campuses find fault in it – as inconvenient as it may be–there are more schools, states, and unsigned petitions where the fight against this policy is actively sought after.
