Dear Editor,
As a smoker on campus, I was not initially enthusiastic about the university’s decision to ban smoking, nor was I surprised.
Despite numerous warning signs and butt depot’s located far from entryways, many smokers on campus continued to break the rules.
I certainly regret that my fellow smokers chose not to follow these simple rules because this is our punishment for not respecting our peers. Now I personally have to deal with the consequences of our actions.
Along with being a nicotine enthusiast, I love riding my bicycle, especially when it saves me money on gas. Last semester a letter of mine was printed in the East Tennessean concerning the issue of smokers who ride their bicycles or motorcycles to school.
Without designated smoking areas or an enclosed vehicle to smoke in, these unfortunate individuals are now forced to walk off campus to get their kicks. Is there a solution?
Since Dr. David Collins and the Environmental Health and Safety Office have waged a very strict and bureaucratic campaign against smokers that involves no fines, citations, or first time punishment, we the smoking people without gas powered vehicles must be smart and alert.
One idea we smokers could consider, if our hearts are up to it, is running full speed across campus with our cigarettes dangling from our lips as we smoke to our hearts content. One would surely not be caught if they we fast enough, but please do not put your cardiovascular health at risk without checking with your doctor first.
Another option we might consider is the abundance of parking lots on campus. Student smokers have expressed concern about whether or not they are “allowed” to keep their windows down while they smoke. Dr. Collins stated that there was “no real way to police this situation.”
Logically there is no difference between a smoker in their car with the window down than a smoker, sitting on their bicycle, in a parking lot. Maybe we should get plastic sheets to throw over our heads to simulate windows on our self powered, green, friendly, vehicles.
Or maybe we should just come to an agreement with the university.
We smokers realize what we have done and are truly sorry. We have abused our rights given to us by our tobacco-growing forefathers and we apologize. I promise that I will not smoke in front of doorways and I bet most others would abstain too if ETSU would just let us smoke somewhere.
– John McMeen

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