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Jovan Ramos
Prof. Rosenfeld
English 113A
November 13, 2016
Tobacco Has Too Go
Smoking bans among universities and campuses are increasingly becoming more popular
within most states in the U.S. The end goal of these smoking bans is fostering culture change
across campus. A survey carried out in 1st October 2016 by Americans for Nonsmokers Rights
which is an activist group revealed that by then there were about 1,712 campuses that were
completely smoke free. From these 1712, almost three thirds of them 1,426 were tobacco free.
Using of electronic cigarettes was banned in about 1,287 campuses. Use of a hookah while
smoking was prohibited by 620 schools and lastly, about 90 schools prohibited smoking of
marijuana. If these numbers are compared to the results of the 2011 survey, a rise in over 1200
meaning the number has tripled that of 2011 which was 580 campuses. The number is expected
to continuously sky rocket as more and more schools learn the benefits of banning smoking and
adapting a no-smoking policy. There has been a rise in the norm within the society that supports
creation of smoking free environments especially where there are several people congregated.
The main reasons as to why more and more states are adopting the smoking bans is
mainly because of the CDC report by McCarty stating that, Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to cancer, lung disease and heart disease (McCarthy3). The report
prompted the society to try and come up with measures that de-normalize smoking and they
decided to begin with the younger generation that is campus students where most smokers begin
their habit. There have been different reactions to the increase in smoking bans and different

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policy set ups among the universities and campuses so that smoking may reduce. For example,
some campuses students or members of staff caught smoking within campuses that have smoking
bans would result in a penalty such as a fine. A good example is the Michigan State University
where if one is found smoking in the campus premises, a fine of $150 will be imposed.
In some universities, people found smoking are redirected to other places to be advised
on how they can quit instead of being punished. A good example of this is the Ohio State
University where if one is caught smoking, one is directed to where he or she will be advised and
be exposed to quitting resources. In states, such as California, the smoking ban thread has not
followed suit. In the state, the universities have the freedom to ban smoking in campus if they
wish to. Universities have the freedom to not ban this habit; This freedom however by the
California universities has faced rebellion as efforts have been put to come up with a bill that will
force the universities and colleges within the state to enforce the smoking bans. However, the
efforts have not been successful.
Gov. Jerry Brown devoted the bill with the following grounds, The governing boards of
our public colleges and universities already have the authority and are fully capable of setting
smoking policies on their campuses, so the current law should suffice (Brown32). The smoking
bans has generally had an impact on smokers. For long time smokers, not much has changed
since most of them still smoke but it has affected their smoking frequency. The fact that in
Michigan State University the $150 fine has never been imposed on anyone even though several
people have been caught smoking has given the students a belief that it will be difficult for one to
receive a ticket for being caught smoking in campus. An interview from one of the senior
students in Michigan State University by the name Maris Ryckman revealed this. He said, Im
still going to smoke on campus knowing how difficult it would be for a cop to ticket me, The

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ban has reduced the tendency of long time smokers to remain in the school premises for time
past their normal class hours. This was also learnt from the same interview of Maris Ryckman.
She said that she used to stay in the school library and do her studies there. She however, does
not do that anymore since she is not allowed to take smoke breaks; she must study at home
nowadays.
The ban will generally have little effect on the long-time smokers since for them, to stop
it will be difficult. On the other hand, the ban is surely bound to influence smokers who are
experimenting on the habit or on casual smokers. This is because the ban reduces the number of
people smoking within the campus premises hence reduces the opportunities for non-smokers or
experimental smokers from trying and picking up the habit. The ban has generally reduced
smoking and de-normalized the habit since it began. An example of the changes that come with
the ban in Michigan State University were seen in the survey that was carried out a few months
after the ban was put into place in 2011. The survey showed that 65% of the students in the
campus noticed there was a huge decrease in smoking within the university. About 4% of the
interviewed were smokers who said they were planning and in the process of quitting smoking
all together. The restrictions which have been setup are generally affecting the numbers and
figures associated with smoking. The rates of tobacco dependency have generally reduced and
smoking is becoming unpopular.

Works Cited

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Assembly votes to ban tobacco use on all state college. (n.d.).

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-essential-poli-assembly-approves-ban-onsmoking-e-cigarette-use-1461617253-htmlstory.html
Colleges and Universities. (n.d.).
http://no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php?id=447
Do college campus smoking bans work? - The Boston Globe. (2013).
https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2013/12/08/college-campus-smoking-banswork/IYolUcwwplOZnfuy2umzWL/story.html
More campuses have smoking bans -- but do they work?
http://college.usatoday.com/2016/10/06/more-campuses-have-smoking-bans-but-dothey-work/