by Mattew Beil, Staff Writer
In the past few years the United States has become less of a place for smokers. Many states passing legislation that prohibits the smoking of cigarettes inside, these states are known as indoor clean air states. If one has ever been to the Tampa international airport, one would hear the automated message that smoking is prohibited inside the terminal except in specific areas. Now this designated smoking area has been proposed at many universities and implemented most recently at the University Of Tampa.
This of course creates tensions, non-smokers particularly ones with a strong sense of smell are made ill by the smell of tobacco smoke, still for others it is a non-issue as long as it is not blown in their face. For smokers, it is more about their rights to smoke where they choose. However, if one has ever been in a residence hall one knows if someone lights up a cigarette indoors it is not only against Saint Leo University’s policy but it tends to stink up the entire floor. Yet for the most part smokers observe the rule of not smoking indoors and most people don’t have a problem with those individuals violating the no smoking within twenty five feet of a building because no one measures out exactly twenty five feet and rain has a bad habit of putting out fires and cigarettes.
It has been brought up in a non-legislative way in the SGU that maybe Saint Leo should have designated smoking zones. This is because some individuals are opposed to smokers congregating either on walk ways or near them causing the passing by non-smoker to get a whiff of the tobaccos odor that they find so offensive. There is talk that there may be in the future designated smoking zones on campus. But what do the individual students think about this idea?
Justin Paulauskis, a senior communications major stated: “I think it is (expletive deleted) I don’t understand how one can continue to intrude in to certain people’s lives and force them into confined spaces. I don’t think it is personally fair, that someone else can tell me where I’m allowed to go and what I am allowed to do.”
Lola Manly freshmen who is still undecided on a major said: “As a smoker I agree with designated smoking zones as long as they are easily reachable”
William Berry, a sophomore, studying computer science said: “it is interesting; there are courteous smokes and non-courteous smokers. When I smoke I try and keep the smoke away from you because it is my habit and not yours. Then there are those smokers who are rude. With smoking zones you are segregating the student population. I observer the 25 foot rule and you have all this open space. If you have designated smoking zones they will be far off. It is an interesting concept but it doesn’t work well.”
On the flip side there are non-smokers who also have an opinion:
Craig Graves a freshman who is studying psychology said: “There a good idea, I wish people wouldn’t smoke for their own health and pocket books, but designated smoking zones are still a good thing.”
Ravin Forde a business management major and a junior said: “Designated smoking zones would be nice. It would be good for us non-smokers because we would not have to inhale poisonous fumes.”
Cody Jean-Baptitse a junior who is studying business said: “Basically as a non-smoker designated smoking zones seem good in theory. But it wouldn’t go over well with the students. If you have designated smoking zones that are far off some students are not going to go there and will just smoke where they want too. When you get down to it it is a matter of who will follow the rules.”
As far as the implementation of the smoking zones goes it is only rumors, so the location and punishment for violating the smoking zones are still unknown.
