Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

I sympathize with your libertarian view concerning personal habits, and many of your points about smoking are well taken. We are individually responsible for our own health - at least as far as we are able to affect the status of our health. However you overlook an important fact that is at the heart of the motivation for discouraging harmful behavior. The fact is that basic health care is exorbitant, overburdened, and insurance is out of reach and unavailable to far too many,

We have come to see that cancer and obesity have a major impact on the health of our culture and therefore on our health care system. We also know that healthy habits have a positive effect on both cost and delivery. As it is, the cost of health care is borne generally by employed and insured healthy individuals. Should those with poor habits be asked to give up care when they become sick as a result? Should the poor and uninsured continue without health care because there is not enough coverage for everyone?

If, as a society, we value fair and equal access to health care for all, a good place to start is by encouraging healthy habits. To promote good health habits and to discourage smoking other unhealthy habits is good for the individual, good for the health care system and ultimately better for us all.

Angelo, the major flaw to your story is that when you compare smoking to other things like fast food, you fail to realize that people who eat fast food are not harming others while they're eating it. Whereas while you're smoking, others are subject to second hand smoke. The fact that 7-11 is waiting to sell cigarettes is not an issue either because 7-11 is off campus, so.....buy the cigarettes there and smoke them there. I really can't feel sorry for people of our generation who have been surrounded by so much scientific evidence that shows how terrible and addicting cigarettes really are. Neither you nor myself, nor most of the college students here at SJSU were even alive during the time that people had no idea of the side effects. Also, you might want to do more research on your comment about most smokers obeying the 25 foot from the building laws. I see so many more people just sitting on planter boxes and leaning on the shaded wall of the buildings more than I see obeying the rule. (Some of these people even being SJSU faculty and staff members who should really obey the rules even more so)

So, if you ask me, a smoke free campus is a great idea. It looks out for the well being for everyone.

And if you're afraid that campus might someday be a difficult place for "nicotine-dependent" people......have you ever heard of nicorette?!?!?! It's easier for smokers to deal with a smoke free campus than it is for non smokers to last more than a few minutes without breathing in excess filth from peoples cigarettes.

I've also had plenty of moments when the, oh so angelic smokers, exhale their puffs of smoke right into my face without even a "sorry".


Kristi

The problem I have with all of this is that if smoking is so darned horrible and dangerous that we have to regulate and restrict it so stringently then shouldn't it be made illegal? I'm a bit sick of the hypocritical stance taken when cigs are taxed outrageously and tobacco growing continues to add to this nation's farming community. You can't have your cig and smoke it too.