It was almost five years ago, on Jan. 1, 2010, when the campus smoking ban went into effect, prohibiting the use, sale, advertisement, free distribution and discarding of tobacco products in all indoor and outdoor facilities and in all university vehicles.
Since then, Wichitan staff members have periodically been approached with complaints from students that the smoking ban is either a violation of personal freedom or that the ban is still not strict enough. Most recently, the Wichitan received a tweet stating that the ban goes unobserved and cigarette butts litter the campus.
If the ban worked, students like Murphy wouldn’t be upset to see smokers on campus. So from the complaints, it has become clear that the ban doesn’t solve any problems and instead creates confusion and disappointment in the campus population.
It was a mistake to institute a ban that is nearly impossible to enforce. As stated in the policy, “it is the responsibility of all members of the campus community and campus visitors to observe the provisions of this policy,” passing the buck for enforcement to pedestrians rather than someone with authority.
Students shouldn’t have to take it upon themselves to enforce this policy on their peers, and students certainly should not take the blame for the policy’s failure. It is completely unreasonable to expect anyone to approach a stranger to tell them to stop smoking.
The policy does not even say what a would-be enforcer needs to do to report a smoker, only that violators “may be referred to a provost, vice president, associate vice president, dean, or director.” We need to not only scold our peers but then politely ask for their name so we can report them. But again, the policy isn’t very clear.
The ban is ineffectual and also angers those for and against it because it does not “provide a safe, healthy, pleasant environment for its faculty, staff, and students” as stated by the policy. Instead, it provides a safe, healthy and pleasant appearance.
The word appearance is key because, since the ban took effect, the only noticeable difference was the addition of outdoor signs proudly proclaiming Midwestern State University a “smoke-free campus,” yet students spot smokers on a regular basis, which would be impossible if the campus were truly smoke free.
National campaigns to curb smoking have been running since the 1930s to little effect, and something tells me that members of the 2009 Board of Regents didn’t think a vocal minority at MSU would be the first ones to finally do it when they voted to institute the ban.
Instead, the Board of Regents and campus administrators were more likely thinking about positive press and enrollment numbers when voting for the ban.
Now campus tour guides can casually take prospective students and their families past these “tobacco-free” signs, and the words “tobacco-free” can be added to recruitment brochures to create the illusion that no one is allowed to smoke at MSU.
Because the ban is not working, it only serves to mislead the campus population. Administrators need to either enforce the ban instead of expecting the public to do it, or completely repeal it. Until then, the “tobacco-free campus” signs are simply a lie.
Ethan Metcalf is a senior in mass communication and editor of The Wichitan.
