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Tobacco decision:
Students split on tobacco free policy
The Advocate
“Breathe Easy . . . Tobacco Free Zone” is the winning slogan of the Tobacco Free Slogan Contest, submitted by Theresa Snyder, and will now be the official slogan of MHCC going tobacco-free winter quarter.
The smoking kiosks “will be removed by facilities,” said June Jacobs, assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and board relations, adding that “permanent signs will go up the first week of January.”
The issue of whether people will obey this new policy has been brought up at meetings, and at a student forum Monday, but Jacobs said she isn’t worried about it.
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“Wayne Feagle and public safety have it planned out. They are prepared to issue warnings and hopefully not tickets but if it comes to that they will be issuing tickets,” she said. “We can hope for the best that things will go smoothly here.”
Students on campus have very different opinions about the tobacco ban.
“To completely ban it is unfair,” said Jake Gregus. “Getting rid of it in the main floor of the school is fair but to ban it everywhere is unfair to the people who enjoy smoking, especially if they’re doing it in their own car.”
Gregus said he uses chewing tobacco and plans on following the rules on the new policy — to an extent. “If I’m in my car or far enough away from people, I see no harm or no wrong in it,” he said.
On the other end of the spectrum, an anonymous non-smoker at MHCC said, “I am happy about the tobacco ban because I don’t smoke. Even when there are restricted areas, I still smell it and I chose not to smoke for a reason.”
Jamie Gould, a business major and smoker, said, “I thinks it’s good as is, with designated areas. It keeps other people who don’t smoke away from it.”
The anonymous non-smoker disagrees. “Even when you smoke outdoors, it’s not like it stays contained in one little area.”
As far as affecting other people, cigarette smoke can be dangerous — second- hand as well as first-hand — but it wouldn’t be fair to only ban cigarettes, said Gregus.
“Tobacco is tobacco. If the school targets one, they have to target the other so I see why the school is not picking one over the other. If it’s not smoke from cigarettes, its spit from chew, which some people find disgusting,” he said.
Gregus said he thinks it is not right for the school to ban smoking in cars. “It’s my car. If you don’t like me smoking or chewing in my own car, you can get out. I’m not affecting anyone but myself,” he said.
Gould does not plan to use tobacco on campus after the new policy takes effect, he said, but if caught disobeying the rules, “I would know it was something I wasn’t supposed to do and have to accept the consequences.”
From a non-smoker’s point of view, the consequences of disobeying the new no-tobacco policy should be fines, he said. But if that doesn’t work, “It’s a school policy so if you don’t want to abide by the rules, I guess you get kicked out,” he said.
Gregus said, “If caught, it is the rules and I’d take what I’ve got coming to me. Let’s face it, I’m no Adrian Peterson (an NFL running back). I can’t just run away.”
MHCC participated in The Great American Smoke Out Nov. 19, right before Thanksgiving break. Nursing instructor Chrissy Bloome said 93 people stopped by an information table and 26 students turned in tobacco products. “Big hooray for the students for sure,” Bloome said.
The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.
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