I set foot on this campus in September 2008, and since then, I have seen more smokers in my age bracket than I knew was possible. I knew people who smoked in high school but not the vast numbers I see on this campus.
In the Nov. 10 edition of The Post, readers were informed that the university is making an effort toward a smoke-free campus. As someone who despises cigarette smoke and the effects of smoking tobacco, it is needless to say that I am pleased.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), smoking is more prevalent among men (23.5 percent) than it is with women (17.5 percent). But lung cancer caused by smoking kills about 68,000 women every year, causing more deaths than breast cancer. Of the adults who hold an undergraduate degree, 11.1 percent are smokers. It’s hard for me to believe only a small portion of that percentage attend OU.
Smoking is a costly habit. As mentioned in the article, smokers spend almost $56 a week on cigarettes. In 2006, U.S. consumers spent an estimated $90 billion on tobacco products. I can only imagine what that number is now after the turn of the economy in recent years.
I am an avid believer in an individual's right to do whatever they want. I also understand that smoking tobacco is a hard habit to break. But I am more concerned about my own health and of others who do not smoke.
Yes, I am going to reach into the old-school, secondhand-smoke argument because it is still relevant today. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, smoke-free polices are the only effective way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, which causes cancer and heart disease.
I am excited about the possibility of a smoke-free campus, but it will be nice to see the university take the necessary steps toward making the transition. The campus has seen the introduction of smoking limits in front of buildings. If smokers would obey the 10- and 25-feet boundaries, nonsmokers would find it much easier to enter and leave buildings without having to hold their breath.
It is also important that we show smokers and nonsmokers alike that we care about them. With the development of the “bucks versus butts” program through the Campus Involvement Center, maybe smokers can come to some sort of compromise and think about being courteous when smoking in public spaces.
As we have done with every program and intiative at OU, we can take this time to look at implementations at other universities throughout Ohio and model our own using their examples. This could be a good look for our university, and it could mean a major chance that students and administrators can all be dedicated to.
Michelle Calloway is a senior studying communications.
