New smoking restrictions on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus are being implemented to “clear the air” near entrances to academic buildings.
The restrictions coincide with the Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act that went into effect Jan. 1, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs John Crain said.
The policy expands SLU’s efforts initiated in 2003 that allowed smoking only in designated areas around certain buildings, he said. Designated smoking areas have been created near D Vickers Hall, Garrett Hall, Fayard Hall and Sims Memorial Library.
Smoking will be banned at the entrances to Mims Hall, the Biology Building, certain areas on the north campus and in the mall of the War Memorial Student Union.
Should smoking be banned at other locations on campus? Or is SLU overdoing the new smoking ban by making even outside areas smoke-free?
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Yes, smoking should be banned from other campus locations.
No, smoking should NOT be banned from other campus locations. For crying out loud, I agree non smokers have rights, but smokers do too! Why don't you get rid of drinking also. That causes many many deaths also. Second hand from drunk driving, ect. So what's the difference???? There are ways to make it safe for non smokers, but not take smokers rights away. Louisiana has gotten totally carried away with this issue, and I know of several people who are legally looking into the constitutionality (sp?) rights of this issue.
I don't think people are looking at the so called "Big Picture" here. I could care less if someone is twelve feet away from me smoking a cigarette while I'm eating. What does bother me is this---Our government just made another step closer in controlling my life. I'm allergic to peanuts and shellfish. I could easily die w/in 5-10 minutes upon injestion of either one. Cigarettes--20-30 years. Hummmmmmmmm--should we ban peanuts and shellfish from restuarants. If you say no---Why not? I could die from this. Doesn't my life matter??
As a person who does not smoke, I'd have to say that SLU is going a bit overboard with their policies. I understand the idea of not smoking while inside a building; that concept just makes sense to me.
Now lets explore the idea of smoking while outside. Hmmmm lets take a look at the factories that are located in Norco, Chalmette, and other cities that are in our state. Do these factories not get rid of some of the same harmful toxins that are found in cigarettes? Now look at how much smoke they get rid of each day and how much smoke an entire pack of cigarettes will emit. The difference is astronomical! If we want to enforce a clean air ban, I think that we should start with the factories that are located within Louisiana and address the bigger issue here.
As a non smoker I have to say that it really doesn't bother me that someone wants to smoke a cigarette by me. Many of the people that like to complain don't have a problem when they are in a bar. Something that gives me a great deal of enjoyment is when these rules and rants are coming from people that are doing as much damage, if not more, to our bodies. You know the people, right? The ones driving around in their ozone destroying vehicles that get 5 miles to the gallon. These people are the real enemies in the fight for clean air. Why do people have to be so rediculous? If you don't like someone smoking next to you outdoors then move! Smokers are usually much more considerate to others than non smokers.
I think there should be designated smoking areas (which they had before) that are not necessarily near the entrance way of the buildings (d. vickers for instance). the comparison to drinkers is like comparing apples to oranges. if you sit next to a drinker while they are consuming, you are not going to be affected. Sitting next to a smoker (for many years most likely) can cause some damage to you. As a non smoker, I do appreciate the non-smoking in restaurants, as many states (florida as an example) implemented this a long time ago (over 5 years). Smokers do have rights...and they can smoke in designated areas. Non smokers shouldn't go by the smoking areas if it bothers them.
If you chose to have a bad hadit you should do it in private and not force others to put up with it. Non-smoking rules are for your own good and others. The government would get rid of both smoking and drinking if the illegal selling would not become a problem. Grow up and quit smoking. Its bad for you.
Its about time they tightened this. When I went there I had to hold my breath when walking within about 50 feet of the front doors of some of the buildings. If you allow smoking at the entrances, lets just allow smoking in the classrooms. What's the difference. I think its disgusting and we should get smoker's to quit smoking and get our industry producing something productive while lowering our healthcare costs.
This decision would be fine with me if SLU would have chosen better locations for the smoking areas. They banned smoking in the breezeway of Fayard Hall, only to move it on the ends of Fayard Hall. Breezeways are designed for air flow. The area that smokers are now forced to use is too small and now the smokers are clustered together smoking less than 2 feet away from another entrance. Now instead of smokers spread out in an area that exceeds 100 sq ft, they are clustered in an area that is less than 30 sq ft and right on top of an entrance/exit. I don't see how this could possibly be any different than people smoking all around campus. Now the smoke is concentrated at different entrances, rather than spread out all around campus. If they are going to make these decisions, they should at least think about how silly it is to make changes that, in my opinion, have made the situation worse. Now rather than walking past a smoker, I end up walking past 30 smokers huddled in a dense cloud of smoke. This decision has not presented any positive measures and only created more problems for smokers and non-smokers alike. I'm sure all the nice signs and new rules make someone at a board room table happy though.
I would completely support designated smoking areas on campus. If we compartmentalize we can enjoy more freedoms without infringing upon others.
However, I don't think building entrances is effective compartmentalization. Having to walk through wafts of pungent smoke just to get to a class, is an unnecessary burden. There's plenty of courtyard space to designate a number of areas for smoking.
And to the smokers. Make it easier on yourselves. Throw your butts away when you're through. What if everyone that was addicted to sweets stood in hoards at building entrances, masticating furiously before class, then just threw their rappers on the ground before vacating?
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