Salem State: Banning Smokers in 2011

The most feared word in a smoker’s vocabulary: smoke-free. Beginning in September 2011, Salem State University is becoming a smoke-free campus. Not only are cigarettes banned, but also chewing AND smokeless tobacco products. Stanley P Cahill, the executive vice president of Salem State, said that the school was “influenced by a survey of attitudes about smoking on campus” (boston.com). Most complaints from students were that they were exposed repetitively to secondhand smoke and were bothered by it. Their complaints of the smoke are understandable but then why are smokeless tobacco products banned? Without smoke, there’s no secondhand. The American Association of Public Heath Physicians supports smokeless tobacco products. In a letter to the FDA, the AAPHP reveals that “It should be possible to save the lives of 4 million or more of the 8 million adult American smokers who will otherwise die of a cigarette-related illness over the next twenty years. This could be done by making smokers aware of selected smokeless tobacco products (including but not limited to snus and electronic cigarettes) that promise to reduce the risk of tobacco-related illness by 99% or better for smokers who are unwilling or unable to quit.”

Being a smoker and a student of Salem State, I am not looking forward to this ban. The first question that came to mind was “Do I have any money to buy the e-cigarettes” but then remembered the ban included smokeless products. The second question was “Do I want to quit” which was answered with a “no.” Students are adults and have the right to smoke. This problem leaves me (and other smokers) with two solutions. I could sneak around campus like a criminal (not preferred) or I could walk off campus lines.

I can see my future very clearly. The snow piles on the ground and the plows create monstrous snow banks. My class has ended and I have fifteen minutes of freedom. I emerge from the building, looking out at the picturesque New England winter scene. I bundle up and make the long pilgrimage beyond school lines. Others join me with the same anticipation; we can almost smell the promise land. We desperately search for the invisible boundary that divides the school from the real world. It is there, we can see it. The minutes are ticking by and we only have moments. We gather in a circle, huddling like lost children, as we light our cigarettes. Our chilled cheeks are greeted by the warmth of lighters and matches. We turn and look back at the school buildings, towering over us, looking down upon us. Why should we feel shame? We are free, we will not quit! We will return to this spot day after day. Smokers will unite and rise above! The Marlboro Martyrs. The Parliament Patriots. The Winston Warriors. We shall stand together...Well, lets not get too carried away.

I suggest a compromise. Is there a way the 25 feet rule can be better enforced? Could there be an area designated for smokers on each campus that is easily accessible and clearly marked? Smokers have to compromise as well. We have to adhere to the rules and remember to be courteous while smoking. Smokers should avoid main traffic areas, especially during those 15 minutes when students are traveling to their next class. Smokers should also throw out the finished cigarette in the trash (there are trash barrels and cigarette receptacles everywhere). There is no reason why smokers and nonsmokers cannot share the same campus in harmony.

Links of interest:
Salem State to ban tobacco on campus
Don't Write Off Current Smokers - AAPHP