By Katie Logsdon
BGSU is one of many public universities in Ohio that is considering enforcing a smoke-free or tobacco-free policy on campus.
The idea of a tobacco-free campus came from the state of Ohio Board of Regents, which is encouraging all Ohio colleges and universities to become tobacco-free, according to an article in The BG News by Campus Editor Danae King.
Five university groups have submitted their support for creating the policy.
However, Alex Solis, Undergraduate Student Government president, said the USG reached out to students finding that smoking zones would be a better alternative over a completely smoke-free campus, said in King’s article.
Some students agree with the proposal for a smoke-free campus.
“I think banning smoking on campus is a great idea for those who don’t like smoking or the smoke itself,” said junior Sarah Patrick, an accounting and finance student from Brunswick, Ohio. “I am concerned about the health risks of breathing in second-hand smoke that could affect me in the future.”
Junior Nikki Schuerger, an early education major from Bay Village, Ohio, said there are advantages and disadvantages to the proposal.
“A smoking ban would reduce the smell of smoke, and there wouldn’t be cigarette butts on the ground, which would make campus cleaner,” Schuerger said. “However, the smoking ban wouldn’t please many smokers and cause many to complain.”
Some students think a smoking ban could also help with recruitment.
“It would recruit students because new students would like the idea of a cleaner, safer campus,” said freshman Jenna Fryer, a medical technology student from Sandusky, Ohio.
Freshman Patrick Quinn, a biology student from Chardon, Ohio, also thinks the ban would make the university look more appealing to potential students.
However, Criminal Justice major, junior Aaron Parker from New Rochelle, N.Y., is a smoker and smokes while on campus. He does not agree with any type of smoking ban.
“The fact is that smoking is legal in public places, even if there are regulations that go along with it,” Parker said. “We are adults and if we chose to smoke then that is our choice.”
Although Daniel Gould, a sophomore visual communications technology student from Findlay, Ohio, smokes, he is aware of the health risks he puts on himself and others while smoking in public and is trying to quit smoking.
Despite this, Gould said he does not think a smoking ban would be possible on campus.
Some students agree that having smoking zones across campus is a better alternative.
“I think it would be hard to regulate a smoke-free campus,” said senior Darcy Phillips, a health care administration major from Avon Lake, Ohio. “There is definitely going to be a lot of controversy and people that are going to be upset about it. I think it would be good to have smoking areas, rather than saying ‘you can’t smoke at all.’”
Solis said a smoking zone policy on campus would please most smokers and non-smokers, and would be “the best of both worlds,” said in The BG News article.