When does the smoking ban go to far?
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Man oh man. Two days in a row of blogs directed toward U of M activities. They’ve just been raking in the coverage lately.
But I just couldn’t help myself when I saw the front page story about the U, or really Minnesota colleges in general, looking at putting a smoking ban on the entire campus.
Of course, you already can’t smoke in any buildings, restuarants, etc. on campus (or anywhere in Minnesota), but this ban would basically stop anyone from lighting up in any public spaces on campus, which includes outside.
On one side of the fence is people say it wil help non-smokers who don’t want to walk through a cloud on their way to class, but on the other side is that outside is outside and this ban is trying to make people quit smoking and doesn’t have as much to do with non-smokers.
Well. Here’s my take: I think it would be great if everyone quit smoking. It’s expensive, bad for you, smells, etc., but it’s not really my decision, or the government’s, to tell people they have to stop doing something that is perfectly legal (so we aren’t talking indoor smoking now). If people want to smoke, knowing that it’s bad for them, let them. It’s not really my problem.
And the complaint about walking through a cloud of smoke? Untrue. First, I went to the U and never remember people hudled near doorways puffing away. And technically if that was a problem, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, the propietors have the right to enforce a rule about how far away from building a smoker is allowed to light up. So why not throw up some signs and start ticketing those who don’t listen?
Also, it’s outside. If someone is walking down Washington Ave and another student walks past them smoking a cigarette, I think the effect of the eight million buses circling around the U area every day will have more of an effect.
And my final thought on all this is where will it end? Sure, ban smoking indoors. I get that. A non-smoker should not have to be trapped in a room with a smoker for an extended amount of time. But outside? If this is allowed to happen, when will it be rolled out to include more than just college campuses. Before you know it, people will not be allowed to smoke in their cars or own homes and will resort to sneaking legal cigarettes in their bathrooms with a fan in the window and towel rolled under the door. (OK, maybe that was an exaggeration, but you get the point.)
So I clearly as a non-smoker do not approve of an outdoor smoking ban, but what do you think?
Couldn’t agree more. Smoking controls have been pushed as “public health” issues because of the as-yet undefined and vague hazards of second hand smoke.
No such hazards exist with outdoor smoking. The U’s decision to ban outdoor smoking would be nothing more than a discriminatory policy further tamping down smokers into second class citizens.
If the U wants to do that, fine. But it should also insist that the state stop profiting so much from the sale of cigarettes. After all, if a smoker is untouchable politically, so too should be their money.