Smoke Free Campus
by Trey Madsen
Now I may only be a freshman, but I do know that last year Plymouth State University decided that for the 2017/2018 school year, they would change something around campus. They decided that it would be better if Plymouth State became a smoke free campus. Personally, I am not directly affected by this. I do not smoke cigarettes, I don’t plan on ever smoking cigarettes. I think they’re nothing more than cancer sticks. But when it comes to the results of the ban- I would consider it unfortunate.
First, I’m going to start with the whole idea of prohibition,or prohibiting a substance/item from a place. IT DOSEN’T WORK. We saw this with alcohol, which is even less addictive than tobacco. People kept on drinking. And also, we are seeing it now with marijuana. Marijuana is currently illegal recreationally in most states, including New Hampshire. Personally, I know more people that smoke weed than cigarettes, and it isn't even addictive, so the idea of banning this legal, addictive substance in the first place is absurd, it won't work.
Second, the University is getting involved with something that isn’t their issue. If schools really cared about their students, they would approach the problem of people using tobacco differently. What I would like to see is our University “focus on education related to nicotine addiction and treatment rather than making a singular decision for all students.” (Tufts) I believe that instead of forcing student off campus every time they smoke a cigarette, it would be more beneficial to have students go to a mandatory presentation/meeting where they can be informed on cigarette use and know where to go if they want to get help quitting. The university should hire someone to work with students one on one to help them get off cigarettes, especially if you’re paying $15,000 a semester.