Students Reaction Divided (final draft)

Bria Lott
Story 2

Students Reaction Divided 

On the first day of classes in fall of 2011, Texas State students were introduced to a new campus wide tobacco ban. It has been about 7 months since the ban and students remain divided on the issue. 

This is the first zero tolerance policy put into action. At first there were just designated no smoking spots in high-traffic areas like in the Quad but now there is no tobacco everywhere. The ban was put into place due to the harmful effects of directly using tobacco and second-hand smoke. 

A recent survey done by the National College Health Assessment showed that 67 percent of Texas State students prefer a tobacco free environment. President Denise Trauth is looking forward to a promising future without tobacco use on campus. 

“This tobacco-free policy will help to reduce health risks and create a healthier and safer university,” said Dr. Trauth. 

The university has taken the steps necessary to move toward a smoke-free campus. The student Health Center has started offering discounted medication and free smoking cessation programs to help wean people away from tobacco. 

There are a considerable amount of nonsmokers on campus. But the students who have been smoking for years find this ban unfair and judgmental. 

Senior Tiffany Rainey said things like “I feel ashamed” because people tell her, “You’re wrong for that," since she needs to have a cigarette as a stress reliever every now and then. 

The divide among smokers and nonsmokers is obvious and aggressive. The divide will continue to get bigger  now that smoking is not allowed and the people who light up behind buildings will be judged with even more tenacity. 

Meanwhile some students believe, “It’s a positive change for the school,” said Courtney Williams a social work junior, “I don’t smoke, I’ve always hated it.” 

Some are hopeful about Texas State’s future as a smoke free campus. They believe this change is for the better and that it will take some getting use to. History major RJ Cichocki, said the air will be cleaner and the library breezeway won’t be a smoke tunnel anymore. 

When Natalie Oliver was asked, "how do you think it will affect campus in the long run?" She said that if no one is cracking down, people will continue to smoke, they will just hide more.

Students are not confident in the rules set in place, they are questioning whether or not these guidelines are enforced enough to actually make an impact. 

When asked, "what can the university do to better enforce the smoking ban?" Chemistry major Ashley Moran said, "Nothing. It's such a big campus that it would be hard to enforce it and it would be really expensive to also."