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Efforts to limit smoking in the workplace or other public areas have seen a rise in recent years — yet none go as far as recently proposed measures at universities in Texas, which aim to ban smoking from college campuses altogether. With billions of dollars in grant money, a state agency is considering campus-wide tobacco-free policies in order to cut down on the number of smokers and prevent instances of cancer in Texas.
Such a policy is likely to draw criticism from both sides. Smokers and proponents of individual liberties might view this as an infringement on personal freedom, while non-smokers and opponents of big tobacco might welcome the measure as an effective way to deter people from consuming tobacco products. While we tend to side with the latter — the policy does seem to have good intentions and would result in a much healthier campus — we realize that there is little opportunity for success in such a sweeping statute.
First, the policy would not prevent individuals from obtaining tobacco products, which is the most effective way to curb smoking habits. By limiting only the areas where one is allowed to smoke, the policy fails to address the root of the problem. Individuals will still be able to get their hands on a pack of cigarettes, and while they may not be able to smoke on campus, they will just as easily be able to indulge elsewhere.
Second, preventing students from smoking on campus might prove to be a daunting task. The plausibility of having campus police or some other task force patrol for smokers at all time seems unlikely. Individuals would no doubt continue to find a way to continue their habit on campus.
A more effective option for these schools would be to create designated smoking areas so that students who wish smoke can do so without imposing on those who don’t. The idea of restricting smoking campus-wide is unreasonable. But with current campus policies at these schools, which include restricting smoking within 20 feet of a building’s doors, along with the aforementioned added measure, university administrators can make both parties happy while still limiting the amount of smoking on campus.
By The Daily Targum