Public Health in Oregon - Join The Conversation

This question by “Corvallis Citizen” is an important one: Banning smoking on campus seems like a good idea, and supported by a majority of the folks posting here.

But as with so many other activities such as prostitution, drug use, and gambling, the “solutions” often mean simply moving the activities - and the associated problems - elsewhere. And often these “elsewheres” consist of neighborhoods without great deals of political, and social, capital. 

So - with a smoking ban at OSU, would the Corvallis communities bordering on the OSU campus see an increase in the following?

- Students gathering on sidewalks, blowing smoke in the faces of people who walk by.

- Disgusting cigarette butts strewn about the neighborhood, with the filters taking decades to decompose.

- Other litter beyond cigarettes - cigarette pack wrappers, snacks, etc., scattered along sidewalks and in front yards.

- Additional noise at all hours of the day and night - especially from loud late-night drinkers.

What do you have to say about that, OSU smoke-free advocates?

If OSU goes smoke-free; what happens to the nearby neighborhoods?

I strongly feel that Oregon State should be a smoke free campus. There are so many benefits to banning smoking on campus like improved air quality free of carcinogens, decreased risk of secondhand smoke, better environment for those with asthma or other sensitivities to smoke, cleaner street (less litter from cigarettes), lower on-campus health care costs, reduced risk of fire and an overall healthier student body plus so much more. The only downside to smoke free campuses are that it is less convenient for smokers and forces them to walk off campus to smoke. By weighing the pro’s and con’s of the proposal, it is clear to see which would be better for the well-being of students and faculty.

Having a smoke-free campus would be great! I am not a smoker and I do not appreciate inhaling and/or smelling smoke. I would say at least once a day I walk by someone smoking. It is someone’s personal choice whether they smoke or not, and I can appreciate that. I’ve been on campuses where they have “smoking stations.” This way people who want to smoke don’t have to leave campus in between classes to have a cigarette, and those who don’t want to smell it can still avoid it. I think that’s a fair compromise

I do not think that Oregon State should ban smoking. If there is such a small population of smokers then why is it such a big deal? I personally dont smoke and I think that if people want to smoke when they are walking around campus or whatever then they should be able to. Campus smokers have never affected me. I don’t really understand how people are complaining of second hand smoke, I mean if you guys dislike smokers so much it’s not like your following them around all day long…
I don’t know..this is just my opinion. But I really do feel like a ban would be a bad idea.

It would be fantastic to see OSU go tobacco-free. As a student parent, I would love not to have my kids exposed to second-hand smoke while on campus.

On our CHP Twitter feed, we asked “Why isn’t OSU smoke-free yet?”

@mikeshingle responded:

“Because it may deter international students from choosing to attend OSU.”

Is this really true? Is this really a conscious decision?

First of all, are you wanting to make the campus tobacco free or smoke free? Everyone keeps using the words interchangeably, but they most definitely are not. I agree that people should not be allowed to stand in front of the library and puff away, and that everyone should stand at least 10 feet away from buildings to smoke, and if they aren’t maybe campus security can step it up and write a few citations to students to get the message out.

However, over the years I have seen several campuses, businesses, and even cities go “smoke-free.” Guess what happens? Many people turn to other tobacco products such as chew. This also causes terrible cancers and mouth diseases, among other things. While you won’t risk second-hand smoke, you will run the risk of stepping in others’ spit. When people turn to chew, places get really gross really fast.

So do us all a favor. Stop trying to police everyone. Make people obey the rules already in place. And think of the further consequences of imposing these rules on all of us.

I think that OSU should be a smoke free campus for many reasons. Some benefits include having a campus that is more clean and healthy to the public, lowering the risk of cancers such as lung and gum, lowering the risk of second and third hand smoke, and lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke among individuals. Smoking affects many people whether you think it does or not. Walking through a cloud of smoke can increase the likelihood of developing second hand smoke which can lead to forms of cancers and other diseases. Either way you look at it, eliminating smoking from campuses can benefit all people, not just the people who choose to abstain from smoking.

I would love for OSU to be a smoke free campus.  However, I do realize that I am not a smoker and have a biased opinion.  I have always been against smoking and think it’s health problems are numerous and concerning also.  But, by making the campus smoke free it is also affecting some people who have been at OSU for a long time, maybe a staff member.  It wouldn’t be fair to them but looking at the big picture I would say that the campus should go smoke free, since the percentage of people who do NOT smoke greatly outweighs those that do.

I definitely think OSU should be a smoke free campus. It would do nothing but help smokers AND non-smokers live a healthier lifestyle. It would also make campus a much more enjoyable place to be. It seems like every time I walk into the library or the MU someone is smoking and its really gross to be taking in their smoke. Smoke is not only killing the smoker, but it is hindering others who suffer with asthma and we all know second hand smoke causes lung cancer. Get smart. Don’t smoke!

OSU should definitely become a tobacco free campus. There are many other campuses across the nation that have already enacted this and it is best for the public health of all.

I definitely think that OSU should be a smoke free campus.  The benefits of this regulation completely out weight the small misfortune it would bring to the students that smoke.  Not smoking on campus is such a small thing to ask from students, I think it should be required at every university.  There are so many areas that students are able to smoke off campus that it would barely affect them while making such a big impact on everyone else’s health.

You know….honestly, I worry about the health of those who still choose to smoke. I know its an awfully difficult addiction to deal with, and there are additional issues with those who culturally identify with it…but its also a risk to those who are forced to encounter it on campus. I also have a big problem with the amount of litter smoking creates on our otherwise beautiful campuses.

I have asthma and it is triggered by cigarette smoke. I live in West Hall and everyone does not follow the 10ft rule. Same with the library. A smoke free campus would be great because I would no longer have to walk behind or near a smoker on my way to classes. I have had to pull out my inhaler several times per term because of asthma attacks triggered by smoke from cigarettes. SMOKE FREE PLEASE!

I 100% think that Oregon State University should be a smoke free campus.  Second hand smoke causes approximately 50,000 deaths annually and I for one, am sick of people walking in front of me while their smoking on campus.  I would be more than willing to get involved to make this happen!

Yes- OSU 100% Smoke Free!

With such a small population of smokers at OSU, I am surprised that we haven’t made the switch to being 100% tobacco free. To say that it will decrease the overall amount of smokers I think is incorrect. Most smokers know that what they do is bad for them, but they don’t care. Forcing them to go off campus would just be an annoyance, but not cause enough uproar to make a huge impact. I think that making OSU tobacco-free would be a wise and beneficial move for the student body’s overall well being.

Oregon State should become a smoke free campus.  Following in the footsteps of many other universities to create a smoke-free environment would promote healthy lifestyles for students.  Hopefully with the help of cessation programs, some of the smoking population would quit all together.  It is important for Oregon State to ensure that their campus promotes healthy behaviors.  Not allowing smoking on campus would hopefully increase the overall wellness of the student and faculty population.

I completely agree that OSU should become smoke free. It may take a few years, but I would love nothing more. There is hardly a day that goes by where I don’t pass someone who is smoking on my way to class. I try to hold my breath but most of the time I end up breathing their smoke anyway. (wind patterns…) I think the first step would be to have a few designated smoking areas on campus and have fines in place if people smoke in other areas. These areas should be away from buildings as much as possible, and away from high traffic areas. Then we could slowly start eliminating the smoking areas until the entire campus is smoke free. And who knows, perhaps it would help those who are addicted to cut back on their addiction, if not stop all together! In the mean time, it would help those of us who are trying to live healthy lives to avoid second hand smoke!

I completely agree that OSU should be a smoke free campus.  This is going to be a very difficult task to just get going and to more importantly be effective.  It is a good idea to take small steps and have special places on campus for smoking and then eventually have no places for smoking.  The one thing that I hate more than anything is walking past a person who is smoking and then I instantly breath in their second hand smoke.  This may seem like a impossible task, but if other Universities can do it, then OSU should easily be able to as well.

I think making OSU a smoke free campus very feasible. If such a small percentage of the population smokes than what’s the big deal. Why should the majority, the non-smokers, have to walk through campus and inhale second-hand smoke when the smokers could easily walk off campus to smoke their cigarettes?

I think that it would be a great benefit to the public health of OSU if it were to become a smoke-free/tobacco free campus.  Not only would it encourage smokers to quit, it would also help to prevent second and third hand smoke atmospheres in which nonsmokers are currently affected. Considering we have a fairly low population of smokers to begin with on our campus, implementation of this policy seems very achievable in the future.  I also see this policy as a great marketing tool for future students who are considering going to school at Oregon State.  All in all, I think that having a smoke-free campus is a great step for public health here at Oregon State.

I think that OSU should be a smoke free campus.  By implementing this type of law throughout out campus we would not only be increasing the health of students who do not smoke but also helping those who do smoke.  By not allowing smoking around campus, maybe it will even encourage others to quit all together!  Its also a very attractive thing to have at a College for parents and future students as well.  I think that some parents would be more interested in sending their children somewhere where they wouldn’t be exposed to smoking constantly.

In my opinion, it is a better idea to make sections of the campus completely smoke-free and then expand those areas to create a steady and solid change.
Changes can create stress, and a sudden change can seem overwhelming to students and faculties who smoke. They might feel isolated and targeted. That feeling can not be altered if the change is too great or too fast. On the other hand, slow and steady change along with resources to help quit smoking will be a much better approach.

If such a low population of students and staff smoke why go smokeless? I think it would be more reasonable to have a designated smoking area.  People who really do not want to be around smoke can avoid these areas.  In return smokers can only be in certain places on campus. I think this is a reasonable balance.

In my opinion, yes I do think that OSU should be smoke free. I think it would be appealing to many students since our smoking population is so low anyway. When I am outside, there is not much worse than taking in a deep breath to inhale a deep cloud of smoke. There are so many campuses who already show good signs when it comes to teobacco free, why not oregon state? Oregon as a state already has a reputation for being green, healthy, etc. I think it’s strange that the step hasn’t been taken sooner.

I think OSU should be a smoke free campus. Its favorable because there’s not a lot of smokers. This university is a health promoting establishment. When smoke free is enacted, putting smoke signs in front of walk ways leading into the campus or near building doors should inform the community effectively.

I love the idea of making Oregon State a tobacco free campus but I have a major concern about the home and business that surround campus. I have a 2 year old son with asthma that cannot be around any kind of smoke and bring the smokers out on Monroe street would just make it a hassle to try to avoid. I just want to be realistic in the sense that a lot of people like to go to the eateries and such that are close and around campus and I am afraid that it would have a negative effect on them. We should just look into making designated smoking areas…the campus is big enough that I have never had a problem with walking through smoke now and then. Tobacco free is a great idea for smaller community colleges but with the placement of OSU and the size of the campus I just don’t think that it is worth it.

I do not think OSU should become a smoke free campus.  As surveys have shown there are a small percentage of students and staff that smoke. So, let us put our health behavior and promotion skills to the test by coming up with better ways to counsel with them.  I choose not to smoke and I do appreciate the numerous laws that prohibit smoking in other places, but to limit people’s choice to smoke outside maybe a little much.  Just because the majority of students do not like an issue, does not mean that it is right in taking another human’s rights away.

I, along with the obvious majority, believe that making OSU tobacco free - at least smoke free - would make it a healthier environment to all of the students and staff at the college. However, even though I myself am not a tobacco user, I have friends and a parent who do smoke and feel that we who are demanding a tobacco-free campus are simply “whining” about this; that it is their right to smoke or use whenever and wherever they feel to. They also state that there may be unintended consequences relating to boundaries to tobacco-free OSU campus - Students, employees and visitors will have to go off campus… maybe to an unsafe area, maybe not… just to use a legal product that they should be able to use outdoors without doing harm to others. I am sort of torn on this current issue and policy, and feel as if it should be left alone.

OSU should become smoke free!! Back home I never had a problem with smokers because I not very many people smoked and if they did they would do it away from people. Here, at OSU I see people smoking every day and unfortunately I always end up walking behind them which is so gross. It makes me so mad to see people smoking in front of the library because whenever I’m walking inside I gulp a huge smell of cigarette smoke. OSU should be smoke free to provide a better environment. This is how we can prevent second hand smoke.

OSU should become smoke free campus, every other college is doing it why not us aswell. If OSU was smoke free there wouldn’t be any chance of second hand smoke.

OSU should take the steps to become 100% smoke free. I hate when I’m walking around campus and I end up getting stuck behind someone who is smoking. I didn’t choose to smoke, and I shouldn’t have to breathe smoke in just because someone else chooses to. I know I can’t be the only person who feels this way. If someone wants to smoke off campus, that is their business. But OSU is supposed to be a place where we go to earn an education and better our lives. It seems silly that we are exposed to something as harmful as second hand smoke on campus.

I believe that Oregon State University should a 100% smoke free campus because second hand smoke is horrible and the majority of OSU doesn’t smoke and are subjected to the harsh second hand smoke. Its a hard task to accomplish, lots of things to consider such as faculty, but I believe that it can be done. Personally, I want a smoke free campus. Theres just a ton that has to go into the process.

At this point OSU needs to figure out the correct steps for this individual campus to become smoke free. Every campus is different in terms of population, and of the population, who smokes. In order to become a smoke free campus there are specific steps that need to be made. I think we should be a smoke free campus because just because one person decides to smoke doesn’t mean anyone who is walking by on their way to class should be exposed to the smoke. We can set up designated smoking areas in places where it might be difficult to go all the way off campus and maybe even make exceptions for game days. Any issues that arise we can find a solution for and ultimately have a healthier campus by going smoke free.

Personally I think that making OSU a smoke-free campus would just be moving the already small percentage of people who smoke to Monroe or neighborhoods, and therefore really isn’t creating a decrease in smoking. I think more money could be spent in advertising for helping people to quit and preventative campaigns instead. People will smoke elsewhere and the risks of secondhand smoke are minimal outdoors. Smoking is a personal choice, and we all know the negative consequences so should we really have the right to limit their abilities when the population at large isn’t strongly affected?

I think a lot of people think that a transition to a smoke free campus should be easy but in reality it isn’t quite as easy as it seems. In order to have a smooth transition from a smoking to a smoke-free campus there are many different aspects and populations to think about. The transition would affect a lot of people and most of these people would be affected in a good way but then there are the smokers. Professors and students who work or pay to go to school here aren’t going to be very happy if they are suddenly told they can no longer smoke wherever they want. Also how to appropriately and effectively enforce it is another issue that will take time to find the right way for our campus. I definitely think that OSU should go smoke free because smoking is not something that just affects the person who is smoking it affects everyone around them too. Even though the transition will be a little bumpy considering all the campuses across the country who have already done it I know we can too.

Currently I am a student at Oregon State University, and I believe OSU should become a smoke free campus. The other day I was walking to class and there was a student in front of me who was smoking, when i got to class and sat down by my friend she made asked me if i started smoking because i was smelled like some really bad. This made me realize that you don’t have to be a smoker to have the consanguineous. I could taste the smoke and smell it on my clothes. Having a smoke free campus would be amazing because its not fair to people who step outside to get fresh air and have to smell and breath in smoke from those around them. A smoke free campus not only would help out the non-smokers but by having a smoke free campus it might also help the smokers quit smoking.

I think that OSU should become a smoke free campus for multiple reasons. There is a small precent of students that actually smoke and support the allowance of smoking on campus. Though there maybe be adverse affects and it is a controversial issue for possibly faculty members, and exchange students no matter what way you look at it, smoking is bad for the smoking and the student that has to walk next to the smokers on campus. It’s not fair to have a personal choice on campus that detrimentally affects others. We need to put our foot down, and make OSU smoke free.

I think that Oregon State should go smoke-free because not a large percentage of OSU students smoke every day. I believe that within a few years OSU and UO will become smoke-free, I think it would work best if the schools made the effort together. Many other colleges/universities have made the switch to smoke-free and I do not think that OSU is far behind. Which so many other colleges having made the transition hopefully OSU can learn from them on techniques that work.

I think a smoke free campus would be ridiculous, personally I do not smoke and find it pretty disgusting but making making the campus smoke or tabacco free is overkill. I am in complete agreement with the no smoking inside buildings policy, it reduces second hand smoke for workers (which was a health risk)and customers. Outside however there is no real risk of getting cancer from someone lighting up, the smoke is not trapped and you are not forced to breathe it.The lungs are an amazing organ and have the ability to clean themselves. It takes a week for them to filter out the toxins and smoke from one cigarrette. So by simply walking by someone smoking outside you are at no health risk. So to create a policy and put even more restrictions on someones rights is going to far. Yes the majority of people in corvallis do not smoke. So does that make their right to smoke less important because their lifestyle is not the norm. I don’t agree with putting more restrictions around smoking.

I believe that Oregon State should become a tobacco free campus because this college is know to be a healthy educational insitute and regulating tobacco free zones would be another step to demostrate, the devotion that our college has to improve health issues in our community. If other community colleges could accept the change I believe that OSU can handle the change also.

I think that a smoke free campus is not even close to neccessary. I do agree with the law that was passed so that smoking is not allowed inside a building no matter the buisness. I think that people are treating smoking like its a disease. Yes it’s unhealthy, and can cause cancer but its a personal choice. I myself dont smoke and most of my freinds don’t either, and as long as people are smoking out side and within the legal distance from a building it dosnt really bother me.

OSU needs to step it up regardless of road blocks that might be preventing them from becoming tobacco free. It would be especially rewarding to students like me who have preexisting lung function problems (asthma) that flare up from inhaling second hand smoke. It would also be beneficial to the overall population health on campus which would improve the health risks for students. After all how can something like smoking tobacco that has been identified as a health risk not be banned from a public campus where everyone is being effected by the choice of roughly 1.6% of students who chose to smoke.

Although OSU has been trying to develop a tobacco free campus for a few years now, nothing has really been implemented yet. There is not a huge population of smokers at OSU, however, implementing policy that would ban tobacco from the campus is a great idea that has caught on at many other colleges around Oregon. Benton county was ranked the healthiest county in Oregon (http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/oregon), so I am suprised that OSU hasn’t jumped on the opprotunity to ban tobacco on campus. I’m sure it won’t be long until they do pass a tobacco free policy.

I think making OSU a smoke free campus would enable huge benefits for the environment as well as the community. it would encourage the small percent of smokers on campus to quit, and would reduce the amount of second hand smoke for all individuals. oregon is also a state where “going green” is very common, being environmentally friendly, a smoke free campus would be a great step in that direction. Also three hundred other colleges around the country have chosen to go smoke free or tobacco free and have seen great advantages, thus I do not see why OSU would not be in favor of a positive change.

Making Oregon State a tobacco free University is a great idea and I support it wholly. The negative effects of tobacco have been well documented, so it only seems logical, from a public health standpoint, to ban it on campus. As for the argument that smoker’s have the right to indulge in their vice, yes, that is true; however, it should not be at the expense of the surrounding community. Tobacco smoke not only adversely affects human health, but the environment as well. That alone should be reason enough to make tobacco illegal.

My initial thought on tobacco-free OSU is “Yes, let’s go for it!”. But, after analyzing the situation further, I don’t necessarily agree 100%. I feel I am not swayed completely to support a tobacco free campus because the smoking population is very small that it doesn’t impact the campus drastically. Yes, there is the smoke you inhale when walking by the smoking people, but it is not like you are stuck in the room with them inhaling it for hours at a time. Another thing that struck me was that, even though the majority of the population does not smoke on campus, there is not a huge percentage (as I would expect) that support a tobacco-free campus.

Additionally, there has been worries with the professors that are smokers. These professors don’t understand how they can go have a smoke in a 10 minute break that they have (which can apply to a student as well). Can this impact their teaching quality? Other things to think about are, who is going to enforce this regulation?

A tobacco-free campus is a great initiative, but there are countless things to think about before implementing it. Either way, I am fine with what will occur.

In my opinion I believe that OSU should be a smoke free campus. I think that it is a personal choice to smoke but it should not effect the health of anyone else. I think that the road to a smoke free campus will be long and difficult but well accepted in the end and be very benefical. In order for it to be accepted, I believe that the program should take small steps and slowly enforce the new regulations. I think it will show the country that Oregon State is being proactive about our health and potentially attract more students.