The tobacco ban was proposed before the SGA Senate two weeks ago. As a concerned student on this campus, I have only opposition for this far reaching measure, which not only bans smoking, but all tobacco products from all areas of campus.
While the SGA does not have the formal power to ban something from campus, it does have the ability to advocate on the behalf of the student body, a power that has resulted in very real changes to policy in the past. With that in mind, I am firmly against any type of a tobacco ban at the Capstone.
Perhaps the largest reason that I am opposed to a tobacco-free campus is also the most obvious: I do not want other people trying tell me and other student how to live our lives. College is a time to explore new options outside of the rules that guided us previously. Part of that exploration is making choices that yes, may be harmful.
By taking away the freedom for a student to make a choice that is completely legal elsewhere, this University would be taking away a part of the student experience. I do not want to live under a patriarchal system that knows what I need better than myself.
At its core, it is not a matter of whether I want to smoke. Rather, this is an issue of whether I have the option to smoke if I so chose. We are now adults and we should be able to make our own choices, even if they are not always the greatest. If we are not allowed to do so at this point in our lives, then we will fail to grow from them.
Bonding is a second critical issue pertinent to the smoking debate. Smoking on campus has created smoker’s “corners” near residence halls and academic buildings that facilitate student bonding. It builds relationships in a way that no other outlet has.
These relationships mean something to people. When I was a freshman, finding friends was not easy. Even though I was not a regular smoker, simply hanging out in a smoker’s area made friendships that have lasted. When considering the ban, weigh in the role it plays in building friendships.
The importance of tradition must also be considered in a smoking ban. The best example of this is the third Saturday in October. After we defeat Tennessee in football, the tradition has always been to smoke a cigar. A difficult situation is created. We can either dismantle this tradition – a nearly impossible task – or exceptions could be created, which would undermine the legitimacy of the ban.
The final reason I am against the smoking ban is because it leaves no options for smoking to certain groups on campus. For example, international students live on campus and for many of them, it is part of their culture to smoke. For us to ban it from our campus would harm how international students view our campus and would potentially form a barrier to future enrollment.
Another major group affected are the individuals who smoke are trapped on campus all day and would have nowhere else to smoke. These people are teachers, grad students and people who live on campus and in fraternity houses. eaving them an option to smoke, then this university is destroying the freedom that college purports to foster and instead, replaces it with a paternalistic guidance.
A smoking ban is nothing short of bad for the student body. It takes away rights, not protects them. The point of college is to discover who you are. It isn’t to have authorities dictate how students live their lives. If we are to keep the spirit of college alive, then we must not allow a smoking ban to take place on this campus.
Regan Williams is a junior majoring in political science and communication studies and is an SGA Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. His column runs biweekly.
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