Whether you smoke or not, you might have seen new signs posted around campus reminding students about Binghamton University’s smoking restrictions. While the rules haven’t necessarily changed, the University is clearly taking extra steps to see that they are followed.
Currently, BU administration requires students to be 25 feet from buildings when smoking — this includes e-cigarettes and hookah as well as regular tobacco cigarettes.
The University is currently not able to ban smoking on campus all together, as only an official program-wide decree from the SUNY administration can usher in a change of that magnitude. However, 73 percent of SUNY’s state-operated institutions are in some stage of tobacco-free policy implementation. While we the Editorial Board do find it troubling that Binghamton University cannot make these decisions on its own, and believe that it should be in the hands of our own administration, we do not think BU should go smoke free.
Smoking on campus has been a conflict among students for a while, with many believing that smoking should be completely outlawed from campus, and others arguing that the choice to smoke or not smoke should be up to the individual. We do not think a ban is the answer. We are not here to police anybody, or to reiterate anti-smoking literature that is already so widespread. We understand that just as smokers want the right to choose what they do to their bodies, nonsmokers want the same privilege.
Designated smoking areas are the most practical and democratic solution — they are a win for non-smokers and smokers alike. We propose gazebos in practical places on campus, areas that aren’t heavily trafficked but also aren’t an impossible distance from academic buildings. We’ve seen the throngs of smokers huddled around the Bartle entrances during finals week — why not put a designated smoking area near the ramp between the library and the Engineering Building? Gazebos would provide coverage for smokers during inclement weather and would also act as a marker for non-smokers with health issues to steer clear of.
Listen, if you want to eat, you walk to the dining hall; if you want to drink, you go Downtown even if the wind chill is unbearable. If you’re a smoker, and you want to continue smoking, you can walk a few extra steps away from the nearest set of doors.
With this solution, those who want to can stay smoke free on their own terms, and those looking to light up can also have their way.