URI students would disagree with any forced cigarette ban

10/31/08 - According to a survey conducted by USA Today in 2005, 31 percent of college students smoke cigarettes. Since 1999, the issue of banning smoking on campuses has been addressed several times and is slowly gaining popularity. More than 43 colleges nationwide have banned smoking on campuses already, but University of Rhode Island students, both smokers and nonsmokers, agreed that banning smoking on campus was out of the question.

"I don't think it should be banned," said freshmen Sam Martin, a nonsmoker who majors in psychology. "It's a habit that many people have and can't control. There are already regulations that handle the smoking issues. If it's not illegal then they shouldn't be banning it."

URI's smoking policy prohibits smoking in any public or private buildings on campus and states that smokers must stand at least 20 feet away from residence halls. Not all students agree, however, that the smoking policy is doing enough to prevent secondhand smoke.

"It's a health risk for those students that don't smoke," said sophomore Katelyn Jones, a nonsmoker majoring in marketing. "I've inhaled someone's smoke before just from walking past them. It's disgusting. It gives schools a bad image to have so many cigarette butts on the ground."

Just more than one-fourth of college students are smokers.

When told this statistic, some nonsmokers, including Martin, said he considered it surprisingly low. Martin said she was happy it was less than half and never would have thought it to be so small.

While the statistic was a relief for some, freshman smoker Greg Bergeron majoring in English, said he was angered by the reaction of nonsmokers.

"I don't know why people think everyone smokes," said Bergeron. "I didn't realize [the percentage of smokers] was that high. The perception that everyone smokes is a powerful motivator for nonsmokers to infringe upon smokers' rights, then start telling us about health risks. We're well aware of the health risks and don't need to be 'nannied.'"

Bergeron strongly disagreed with the idea to ban smoking from the campus. He said college students are old enough to make their own decisions and if it bothers nonsmokers, then they should stay within 19 feet of the buildings. Bergeron did support the current smoking policy on campus.

"It makes sense," said Bergeron. "Twenty feet from the building is appropriate to keep smells out and obviously we can't do it inside just for maintenance reasons."

According to a survey conducted by URI in 2001, smoking is most popular for underclassmen. The survey also stated there were strong ties between alcohol use, having multiple sex partners and smoking cigarettes. For Bergeron, it's just a way to handle stress.

"I choose to smoke," said Bergeron. "I know what I'm doing is harmful but it calms me down. I think people should be more concerned with drug and alcohol issues. At least cigarettes don't impair smokers at all. We can still drive, speak and walk while smoking heavily.