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Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
I’ve become what I always thought I hated: A reformed smoker. I am not ashamed though, because it took me half as long to quit smoking as I had been smoking – which is longer than more than half of most of your lives, and I understand the myriad emotions attached to the nicotine sticks. They were my boyfriend, lover, confidant and best friend all rolled into one.
Do not get me wrong. I am not telling anyone what they should do with their lives, as long as cigarettes are sold legally. On the other hand, I am firm when I say that those who do not agree with the Tobacco-Free Campus Committee are wrong.
Those that feel that their rights are being infringed upon in some sort of personal crusade to ruin students’ enjoyments need to take a moment and think. Maybe those who have the authority to make such decisions actually have smokers’ best interests in mind. Hiding behind the liberties this country affords its citizens is cowardly, and arguing for rights rather than better health is illogical.
Do not be so presumptuous; logically it should be understood they are trying to help smokers not smoke. Unfortunately, there is no arguing with a smoker. They know it’s bad for them, and they know it will give them lung cancer, but smokers do not want to talk of those things. Apparently, smokers have been harangued enough. They cannot smoke in bars or restaurants, nor in residence halls. Now they won’t be able to smoke on campus? God forbid! What happened to the smokers’ rights? Give me a break.
The reasons I feel that I can evoke my feelings freely concerning this matter is because quitting smoking was the toughest challenge I have yet to encounter in my years. I will be the first to explain that it took me so long to finally put them down because they are addictive, not because I was weak. I cannot imagine there is one person reading this article who would argue that. Let that be the foundation of my opinion: cigarettes are addictive.
Yet I can remember feeling like such a failure each time I caved. The properties inherent in them actually change brain chemistry, and the sad part is, we know it. The cigarette companies selling them know it; the harm they cause is even printed on the side of the pack. Considering that tobacco is a big business and money talks, cigarette taxes can raise all they want, but money does not deter most people from their addictions. They say one cigarette takes away seven minutes of life. I’m game to forcibly give someone back some of their lifetime, at least while they’re on campus.
With that said, I am here to express to you that the adage, “out of sight, out of mind” should be considered when we delve into the reasons such decisions as a smoke-free campus are made. I know all too well that even seeing a cigarette made me want to smoke, and it is pompous for one to be more worried about their rights rather than their health.
I am sad anyone would devote any attention to fighting such measures. There are plenty of other topics to get angry over, and instead of wasting conversation wondering how such a mandate would be enforced, I say smokers and non-smokers alike stand up and say, “Thank You. We appreciate your help.” For you smokers considering quitting, you have a twisted road ahead of you, and I wish you the best of luck.
Jaime Larese is fuming at opponents of the smoking ban.
