It was a windy, brisk day on campus, sometime in November. The temperature read about 32 degrees and the sun was shining a bright, crisp light over campus. I was strolling through campus on my way to the McCarthy Center to start my day when I got stuck behind someone. This person was not only walking slowly, strolling at best, but was also smoking. He conveniently was walking while smoking, blowing the smoke out of his mouth, trailing its remnants as he walked. Lucky for me, I happened to be perfectly positioned downwind. As the person continued strolling along, I continued to be victim to not only slow walking but second hand smoke. To say the least, it was an unenjoyable experience.
Now I am aware that the presence of smokers around campus is not going away, although talks of making FSU a smoke-free campus have been discussed. I am also aware that a few of my friends smoke, which does not make them morally wrong in comparison to nonsmokers. I understand the addiction nicotine harbors and the dependency smokers feel to this habit. The issue here, though, lies when a smoker’s habit imposes itself onto my life and my day.
Whether it is stepping into a cloud of smoke or getting stuck behind someone smoking and walking, the effects of second-hand smoke are in full effect. Breathing in smoke can increase a nonsmoker’s risk of heart disease by 25 percent. It increases a person’s risk for heart disease and lung cancer, without ever actually having your lips touch a cigarette. More than 50 cancer-causing chemicals are found in cigarettes which can be transmitted through second-hand smoke – and the list goes on.
There are designated smoking areas throughout campus, which are located feet away from buildings, with the intention of creating a separate space for smokers. If people kept to those areas, a walk through campus could be much more enjoyable. As for the discussion of converting FSU to a smoke-free, it should continue to be discussed – the implications of the decision should be heavily weighed. As for right now, before any decisions are made, smoking on the FSU campus should be handled carefully and with respect to those who do not smoke. Those downwind should not be subjected to another’s habit. In the meantime, just don't get caught downwind.
There are two options when faced with a situation where you are stuck behind a slower-moving person ahead of you:
ReplyDelete1. Speed up and pass
2. Slow down or stop entirely, and wait for them to get far enough ahead that their being in front of you no longer is an annoyance.
This works both as a pedestrian and while driving.
If there is currently a regulation against smoking on campus outside of the approved areas, then we're back to the setting of social norms -- only in this case, with regards to smoking rather than parking. In which case, a polite reminder that they are blowing smoke in the wrong place would not be out of place.