Many university campuses around Australia are telling students and staff to butt out. But one expert has argued that these blanket bans on smoking might be causing harm.
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Many university campuses around Australia are telling students and staff to butt out. But one expert has argued that these blanket bans on smoking might be causing harm.
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But there are a number of reasons why Universities ban smoking apart form the smoker’s health.
1. to keep smoke away from non smokers
2. to encourage smokers to be healthier and maybe quit
3. The appearance aspect (being seen as an organisation to be doing the right thing (politically correct))
so if it doesn’t fully achieve the second point, it’s not even the primary reason for doing it.
The other issue is, No – one is responsible for another’s behaviour. To say “you made me smoke in my house” is rubbish really.
How about banning it just because it is totally disgusting?
I’ve never smoked so I don’t understand the habit, however, if I was told that I cannot smoke outdoors at the University that I am studying or working at I feel that that would make me smoke more during the times I’m away from the University. Both my parents smoked and didn’t like the bans that the Australian Government introduced in public places, it made them want to rebel even more.
As I non-smoker I’m happy for people to smoke out doors and not in the buildings, so I think this would be the solution for smokers and non-smoker to work in the same environment.
Smoking is extremely unpleasant for non-smokers, and smokers tend to congregate close to doorways where the smoke is drawn inside by ventilation systems. Banning it on campus can only be good for the majority of staff and students.
Growing up in a household with a chain smoker, I am concerned that I will eventually develop lung cancer, and cigarette smoke now gives me asthma attacks
It is time it was banned in all areas where the general public congregate, including sporting venues and bus malls. University campuses need to lead the way on this one, not pretend it isn’t a problem.
dedicated smokers will always find a way – we don’t need to encourage them
As some smokers on our campus are unable to follow instructions to keep at least 10m away from buildings, with the result that their foul fumes waft through my office window, total bans have my 100% support.
It is not for the smokers benefit, it is for my benefit. I lived back in the day when people would come into your house and light up a cigarette. We’ve come so far, and I want to keep going!
I am a smoker and I am also intelligent; too many people assume the two are mutually exclusive. I am a respectful smoker who will not leave my butts on the ground, and who will move out of the way (yes, off campus because they’re the rules) if someone is about to walk past me. A stupid person is a stupid person – regardless of whether they smoke. I certainly don’t ‘tend to congregate’ close to doorways. Alice, you cannot ‘encourage us’, nor assume ‘we’ are all the same – we are capable of making up our own minds and have made a decision to smoke. When will ‘you’ all realise that ‘we’ aren’t judging you on your habits.
I understand the ban on smoking at universities and in public buildings and places as a means to encourage smokers to reduce or give up smoking. Although I am a smoker, I find the smell of cigarette smoke, especially of stale smoke, disgusting. I am trying to kick the habit for my health and financial benefits. However, what I find puzzling is that we spend a lot of time, energy and money on smoking ban strategies but happily guzzle petrol in our big cars to rush around in our cities, burn fossil fuels to heat our houses, waste electricity to keep cool in summer and so on. All of these human activities, which are so hard to give up as they increase our comfort level, contribute an enormous amount of dangerous pollutants to the environment and damage our health, not just contributing to global warming. Please, think about these issues and prioritise as you only have a limited amount of time, money and energy to fight important issues.
Thanks Tom for turning a story about smoking into a campaign against burning fossil fuels. I am with you, but there is a time an place for preaching about our dismal record on protecting the environment
Finally some institutions have enough spine to stand up and resist this foul habit and it’s harmful effects being foisted on the rest of us. About time. Well done. Please, don’t be swayed by the do-gooders who confuse emoting with thinking. A blanket ban on smoking is a wonderful step forwards for the actual physical health of all.
Most other places have had these policies in place for years an for businesses it hasn’t adversely effected their bottom line.
Also having a No Smoking policy on campus stops people from smoking near building air intake vents and flammable gas cages, which is what was happening at the campus I work at before the policy was introduced
I find it odd that most of the responses here (which would mostly be from the academic community) are about personal anecdotes and personal opinions on some aspect of smoking. There appears to be little in the way of critical analysis of these findings, nor the way the media has reported on them.
This research is largely qualitative in nature, and while I have a lot of time for qualitative research, it is more about gaining deeper insight and understanding meaning, than it is about generalisation. The general response, especially from the media, has been that these research findings are generalisable and can be considered as facts. This is a poor way to consider this research.
Who cares if they ban it. Good for me, as i don’t have to walk past wafts of smoke as much as i used to. Smoking is a filthy habit, and making people go off campus encourages exercise so double benefit. Its a great policy that does not marginalize anyone.