Dear Editor,
Regarding our new “no smoking” propaganda campaign, I truly wonder if the health of the students, faculty and extended staff was on the mind of ETSU President Dr. Paul Stanton when he arbitrarily decided to ban tobacco.
Or, more likely, was he simply seeking subsidy from some sector of Big Medical or special incentives from a government agency?
Did he make that decision as a doctor or as a bureaucrat? (Also, has Dr. Stanton forgotten Johnson City’s sordid history during Prohibition? This campus has, essentially, entered a new era of prohibition.)
Further, I must ask, are the members of the ETSU community going to be subordinate to the future whims of future do-gooders who have our “best interests” in mind?
Why not ban cell phones and iPods? They contribute significantly to hearing loss and car crashes. I’ve seen quite a few near misses on campus because of either a pedestrian or driver being distracted by cell phone/iPod use.
The logic behind this ludicrous proposition being: “Hey, it could kill ya!” is the same logic being applied for the tobacco ban.
Very simply, Dr. Stanton has decided to protect us from ourselves. In regards to the loss of liberty associated with this ban, I simply must wonder how long we have before we are subjected to random bag screenings and vehicle checkpoints on campus.
How long before we’re subjected to the idiocy of “free speech zones?” I get a chill when I read about our future campus-wide camera system.
Very soon, we may have to replace the moniker of our grim-faced campus mascot “Bucky” with that of “Big Brother.” He is watching and he loves you!
However, I recognize the reality of our current situation. Even if this smoking ban was put before a vote by the ETSU community, I doubt it would be overturned.
Dr. Stanton will, of course, receive his accolades for being an innovative leader while another generation of students arrive at this campus with less freedoms and privileges than the last.
Until the ban is given some teeth though, don’t expect the aroma of cigars and cigarettes to leave the air so soon. I’m sure some individuals may choose to define their own bodies as a “vehicle.”
And really, that’s what this whole thing is about: the individual’s right to decide what to do with that body.
— Matthew A. Jeffers

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