No smoke at Miami University
Miami University (MU) plans to become free of cigarette smoke and so enlarging list of universities who decided to ban smoking on territory of the university and its campuses.
Are smoke-free university so desired by students? Second-year business student of the University of Cincinnati, Alex Bailey agrees to introduce ban on smoking at universities, but she supposes that a campus-wide ban would discourage potential students from choosing UC.
“Most students are around 18 when they are entering college which is also the legal age to start smoking,” Bailey said. “Some students may not want to come to UC if they are going to be stripped of a freedom that they have just gained.”
The President of the Miami University Dr. David Hodge keeps to opposite opinion. He is in complete agreement with initiating of veto and on the contrary considers that smoke-free campus would attract more students, at least those who don’t smoke.
“We have not worked on the details of compliance,” Hodge said through e-mail correspondence. “Frankly, I don’t expect that to be a problem.”
For those who light up, the Members of the Miami community propose special programs to quit, so helping to pass easier through new implementation.
“For those who need financial support to quit smoking, we will provide it. The programs are starting now in order to make it easier when the ban goes into effect,” Hodge said.
Of course, there are students who are fond of the ban. For example, Andrea Walker, second-year clinical laboratory studies student at Miami, affirmed “I’m really impressed with the different programs the administration has made for the students and staff," Walker said. "For the most part, the people that I’ve talked to are happy about the campus-wide smoking ban. Although, I know a couple of smokers and they think that the smoking ban is against their rights.”
Last Andrea’s affirmation expresses a real truth. Launching of the ban at MU will result ignorance for a definite group of people. Students are adult people and they have the right to choose what to do. It can be presupposed that smokers will continue to smoke if they want so.
“Imagine what kind of penalty they would give to all these poor college students who are taking out so many loans to go to this great college,” said Christopher Porter, a second year UC engineering student. “If I ever received a ticket for smoking on campus I would be lived. Banning altogether is atrocious.”
Such cases are often met after a veto introducing on smoking in public places. Some of them were settled by creating of special areas for smokers - one of the most reasonable and real ideas.
