As I was waiting for the transit a few days ago, I noticed a woman standing off in the shadows smoking a cigarette. Now, personally, I’m no fan of cigarettes anywhere, but people are entitled to their own decisions. However, this action was wrong, and judging by how she glanced over her shoulder as she finished her last puff, she knew it.
First and foremost, Auburn has a smoke-free campus policy. Nowhere on campus is any student, faculty, or staff member permitted to smoke. This is largely due to health concerns from both first and second-hand smoke. It’s common knowledge that cigarettes are bad for the smoker, but another issue that many fail to consider is the fact that second-hand smoke can be incredibly harmful to those that inhale it. It can trigger asthma attacks, coughing fits, nosebleeds, etc. This policy is also in place to help keep campus clean. This woman, when finished with her cigarette, put it out on the nearby column, leaving a thick black stain of ashes and tar streaked across the tan stone. As she prepared to board the transit, she dropped the still-smoking butt on the ground for someone else to deal with later instead of taking responsibility for her trash and throwing it away in the garbage can that was no more than three feet from her.
Some may argue that it’s unrealistic to truly expect people to not smoke on campus, and I agree. But for those that do make that decision, it should be common sense to be respectful enough of the beautiful campus you’re on to not dirty it with black ash and littered butts. Auburn is a beautiful place, and when you pay thousands of dollars a semester to go here, pride should be taken in having such beautiful grounds.