Before 2008's winter break, the front page of The Miami Student ran an article questioning the effectiveness of the university's smoking ban, which took effect in August 2008. As a non-smoker, I remember voting for the first time in November 2006 and supporting the indoor smoking ban on the ballot. When Miami University went even further by banning smoking anywhere on campus, I hoped it would be a great step toward creating a healthier campus.
After three semesters of the ban, it is unfortunate it remains unenforced. Students still walk to class behind people absentmindedly blowing smoke in the faces of passersby and see professors smoking outside of many academic buildings. The ban is something the university did that makes a nice press release, but by not providing smokers anywhere to go to have a cigarette, the university set itself up for failure.
When prospective students are touring the university's campus and see the smoke free campus signs, but then see cigarette butts littered outside King Library and professors enjoying a smoke break between classes, it is contradictory. Parents of prospective students may wonder why the university has rules it doesn't intend to enforce. If Miami wants to make the campus smoke free it needs to enforce the ban and hold violators accountable. But perhaps the university is just looking to be able to label itself as smoke free and not make an actual difference for non-smokers.
But this is not the most realistic solution. There will always be students who need to take a smoke break during a late night of studying at King. Staff who have worked for the university for years are accustomed to taking smoke breaks during eight-hour shifts. Professors who have been taking smoke breaks between classes aren't able to cut the habit quickly. Instead of having a rule that doesn't actually keep smoke away from non-smokers, the university should find alternative locations for smokers to have a cigarette.
Placing outdoor smoking pods near high-smoking locations could provide smokers with a place to go and give non-smokers a way to avoid the smoke. Rather than seeing the stairs outside of King littered in butts, they could be disposed of properly. Smokers could smoke in a pod located behind the library in the parking lot where there is less foot traffic and no student tours. A pod could also be placed near the Shriver Center for staff members who want to smoke during breaks. The university could speak with smoking professors about a convenient location for a pod to serve them. Rather than addressing the problem of second-hand smoke superficially, the university can search for solutions that will make a real difference.
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