Photo by: Dylan Paulus
Are you a smoker? Do you wish you had a friendly, sheltered place to enjoy a smoke, keep warm and not feel shunned? Or are you a non-smoker? Does secondhand smoke make you feel uncomfortable? Smokers and non-smokers alike notice smoke rising through the streams of students in high traffic areas on campus. Second hand smoke and littering negatively affects students and our community here at EWU. Being part of the Eagles community, we pride ourselves on valuing equality and being kind and respectful in acknowledging each other’s differences. Although we try to achieve this goal, EWU is falling short when it comes to treating smokers and non-smokers equally. This is because we are lacking a friendly environment that meets both the smokers and non-smokers needs. In order to make this a friendlier environment for both, we suggest providing areas on campus that smokers and non-smokers would both agree upon. Smokers would greatly enjoy having the option of easily accessible gazebos on campus. The amenities would include a bench, garbage can, heater and urn. This would create a comfortable, warm, friendly place for smokers to go throughout the campus. By adding these throughout campus, this will reduce the effects of secondhand smoke for non-smokers and littering as well. While we feel this is a good, beneficial idea, all projects like this come with a price tag. ASEWU is perfectly positioned to take action on this issue to use funds to create the harmony between smokers and non-smokers that we want to achieve. Do you feel the opportunity for equality far outweighs the cost? If so, let your voice be heard and let’s start a change in our EWU community today.
Sincerely,
Jack H. Johnson (non-smoker)
Josh C. Oberlander (smoker)
April J. Oens (non-smoker)
Interesting prompt! I was a smoker for a few years, and have been a non-smoker for many now (fingers always crossed). I don’t think I’m idealizing when I say: When I was a smoker, I would have understood severe restrictions on where I could smoke. Most of the time I spent smoking, I was planning a quitting strategy. So, I may have been thankful for the restrictions. Having said that, shame and guilt loop addicts back into their use of the substance. Many smokers, I think, are driven to continue smoking by their shame about the habit. So, I think it is important not to escalate the shame-factor by creating a culture of isolation or alienation around smokers. Tough balance. I think that your idea about the gazebos is a good one… I expect it would ride that balance well!
Banning smoking on campus has absolutely nothing to do with equality.