As of the 2017 school year, The University of Akron has made their campus a tobacco and vape free campus. The change, as put by the University, is “to promote healthy living” and “will make our campus healthier, cleaner, and more welcoming.” (Zipmail, Jun 27)
While I am sure many people will be upset about this change in campus rules, it is most definitely for the better. I’ve personally heard some negative feedback arguing that it won’t make anyone quit smoking; they’ll just go somewhere else to smoke. This may be true, but it’s not just about the smokers. It’s about the health of all students and faculty members and the cleanliness of our campus.
The previous rule was that if you wanted to smoke, you had to stand 25ft away from any building entrance. This rule had little to no effect. A lot of people would stand right outside or 10ft away from the entrance. Whether it was the library, the student union, or a classroom building, we have all had to walk through a cloud of smoke and/or vape just to get into a building. Students should not have to hold their breath to go to class. They shouldn’t have to walk around a smoker/vaper just to avoid inhaling polluted air.
Creating a tobacco/vape free campus is not just about comfort, it’s also about health. Secondhand smoke can have different dangers in store for everyone. Everyone has the right to clean air, especially while at school, but some people rely on it more than others. Certain health issues make breathing difficult in itself without the added struggles of unclean air. Illnesses like Cystic Fibrosis, primarily effecting the lungs, can make walking from one class to another a physical strain on a person. Someone already having troubles breathing can really be hurt by having to walk through clouds of smoke every time they enter and exit a building.
The cleanliness of the campus will also benefit from this rule. It’s always disheartening to be walking to class and look down to see little cigarette butts littering the ground. Fortunately, that will no longer be a problem. Even with ash trays placed around campus, people still just tossed their cigarettes aside. Ash trays themselves created an issue of people digging through them to find unfinished cigarettes which is never pleasant to see.
Becoming a tobacco and vape free campus will most likely not be an instant switch, but hopefully our campus officials enforce the new policy for the benefit of our students, faculty members, guests, and campus.