We haven’t met with Syracuse yet, but have they already won?
Walking down Hospital Drive, between East Range and the UVA Hospital, there is a sign that proudly boasts that the UVA Hospital is a Smoke-Free campus. However, on the other side of Hospital Drive, on the University of Virginia grounds, there is a cigarette receptacle that’s usually surrounded by individuals taking a smoke break. A narrow street as a divider hardly blocks the smell and smoke of cigarettes. In the United States, about 42,000 people die each year from secondhand smoke-related diseases. As UVA students, we are exposed to this secondhand smoke because the University has not taken steps to make our grounds a smoke or tobacco-free campus.
In July, Syracuse University became a tobacco-free campus, which bans not only traditional cigarettes, but also e-cigarettes and many other tobacco products. Truth, the award-winning anti-smoking campaign, even featured Syracuse in an ad. The tobacco-free policy at Syracuse will allow their students, faculty, visitors and other employees to enjoy fresh air and a healthy learning environment. Many other colleges and Universities have taken steps to create and implement smoke and tobacco-free policies, why hasn’t the University of Virginia?
Does a football game between the ‘hoos and Syracuse really matter? The Syracuse Orange have a campus with fresher air and a healthier learning evironment, and our University hosts smokers from the UVA Hospital. It’s pretty clear who’s winning right now, but the University of Virginia can still join the larger trend of colleges and Universities going smoke and tobacco-free policies.