Pennsylvania Kicks Cigarettes Off College Campuses

I find it a very wise decision to ban smoking on the ENTIRE campus. Let's face it, smoking has no purpose beyond keeping the adiction, why should we accept that the healt of nonsmokers gets damaged because of that?

When people smoke outside the problem is not as big compared to when people smoke inside a poorly ventilated building but it still damages the health of all the people who walk there and people who are extra sensitive to smoking, like asthmatic patients, get annoying symptoms for many hours after only breathing in a small amount of smoke.

There are other important advantages to such a ban.

It sends a clear signal that smoking is not appreciated which changes the image of smoking from 'cool' and 'making you popular' to 'lame' and 'making you 'impopular'. This will help to prevent people from starting with smoking and will help smokers to quit smoking.

Many people started with smoking because they let themselves be influenced by the commercials of the tobacco industrie, politicians didn't fight against the culture of smoking because they were being influenced by the lobby of the tobacco industry and because a majority of them (the politicians) also used to smoke.

Fortunately nowadays most people, at least the educated and intelligent people, are aware of the unhealthy effects and other disadvantages of smoking and many people don't accept it any more that smokers smoke whereever they like whenever they like.

Peter 1:24PM November 12, 2008

The truth is simple, nicotine is addictive. It is shown that it will be harmful for your health in the long run. It is easy to see how policy makers would like to place smoke-bans on campus, including PA public universities. However, freedom or regards aren't to smokers in this case scenario. "Smoking will kill you" and "it's not fair to breathe smoke when I don't smoke" are the two strongest points for why anyone would ban smoking on campus. Sure it is an unhealthy decision to smoke-unless you have Tourette Syndrome, I heard it helps ease the outbursts. I can also agree that non-smokers shouldn't have to breathe in the more polluted secondhand smoke. I am a smoker. We all don't like to have smoke blown in our face because it is disgusting and infuriating. Secondhand smoke is unfair . On the other hand, neither is taking away a smoker's smoke bins because cigarettes will be thrown on the ground. Also, people are going to smoke anyways and you took away their special smoke spot! PA and every other campus, put up smoke stations for the smokers away normal travel. This will keep the place clean. If you try to enforce it with security you will only be taxing your available man power, when security should be making sure no one is caused undue harm. Be realistic, nicotine is addictive, maybe in the future colleges and universities will help supply students with subsidized quitting aids. Everyone be safe and try to be rational and not enforce your beliefs so strongly on others. This is America, act accordingly.

Hamilton Smith of AR 8:22PM October 08, 2008

As a registered respiratory therapist and an intensive care nurse I applaud PA's campus smoking ban. I have seen horrible deaths and even worse, horrible lives, all ravaged by cigarettes. In reality though, I believe this ban won't make a dent in smoking. As a graduate of Penn State I know that there were hardly enough on-campus security guards to answer valid calls let alone to enforce a smoking ban. The only way this will have a positive effect on smoking is if security becomes a pain in the ass and also re-arranges their priorities. Maybe I'll contract with the state to be the anti-smoking police and hand out tix in wxchange for a cut of the fines !

mike of NJ 9:50AM October 01, 2008