Upon returning to Binghamton University this fall, I couldn’t help but notice the sprawling patio outside the New University Union, the hallway connecting Student Wing and Lecture Hall and a glimmering new Starbucks. What caught my eye first, however, were the green stickers posted all over campus reading, “Binghamton University will become a tobacco-free campus as of Aug. 1, 2017.”
This surpassed any new spot to do work, any way to evade the blistering cold of BU winters or any fancy coffee spot. Having made a vow to never smoke a cigarette, my oath was partially violated each time I inhaled cigarette smoke when I left the library or walked down the Spine. This unavoidable cloud of toxic fumes pollutes not only the fresh air, but also the lungs of everyone on campus.
According to the American Lung Association, 40,000 people die each year nationwide due to secondhand smoke. It’s difficult to accept the choice of others to smoke publicly around campus when it could result in the death of one of our peers. This, among other reasons, is a driving force behind the necessity of a tobacco-free campus.
In preparation for the impending change, the University is providing cessation programs to all students and employees of BU. Seeing that evidence has shown it takes merely three days for symptoms of chemical withdrawal to decrease, giving members of the University almost a full year’s notice is an ample amount of time for the lifestyle changes that must take place.
Quitting the use of tobacco products is by no means necessary to comply with the policy. It does not apply outside of campus property, so everyone is free to consume tobacco products in any other permitted space. While it may be more inconvenient, this can be positive for smokers who are working to cut back or even quit by leaving them less time to spark up. The process, although not desirable, has positive long-term effects for smokers and nonsmokers alike.
The most questionable aspect of the looming tobacco ban is how it will be enforced. While the current policy outline states that “members of our University community are empowered to respectfully inform others about the policy,” it is obvious that this is unrealistic. While it is difficult to approach a group of smoking strangers, asking them to ash their cigarette, a malicious look and loud cough are a pragmatic way to get the point across. This is by no means a perfect solution, but it’s a start.
Thankfully, we have created a university environment where people look out for others who they feel to be in danger. I have frequently witnessed people approach that guy at the bus stop who’s had a bit too much to drink or the girl wobbling in her high heels in the arms of two guys. Why can’t this same mentality be applied to those who are literally killing themselves with each puff of a cigarette? Society has reached a point that, when someone confesses to being a smoker, the response is negative. This sentiment can carry over by reminding others that not only are they not allowed to smoke on campus, but they really shouldn’t smoke in the first place.
While the administrators of the University have recognized the severity of allowing tobacco on campus, some may wonder if this is truly a step in the right direction. If we’re ranked the best school in all of the SUNY system, why shouldn’t we join the other 20 percent of SUNY schools who have already imposed a ban on tobacco products? A tobacco-free campus is a necessary stepping stone in BU’s growth.
Savanna Vidal is a sophomore majoring in biology.