Letter: Column offensive to smokers PDF Print E-mail
by Katie Bush   
Friday, November 02, 2007

I’m tired of having to walk around campus and be constantly vilified by all the self-righteous non-smokers who think it’s their place to tell me what I can and cannot do. Last I checked, this is America — not Nazi Germany. In America, all citizens are guaranteed rights (unless they come from another country then they’re second-class citizens), and by smoking; I am just exercising my rights. Next thing you know, all smokers will be forced to sit inside cages, while passers-by can throw rotten fruit and vegetables at them. Well to that I say,  “Not on my watch!”

When Initiative 901 was passed, I understood the reasons: to keep smoking out of restaurants, bars, concert halls (for the patrons and employees) and to keep a safe distance from these places with the 25-foot rule. This initiative goes against all my beliefs that I held to be true about justice and equality; but, it was democratically passed in the state of Washington, so I had little room to complain. But now, enough is enough. Making Western a smoke free campus would be alienating approximately 2,822 undergraduate students (about 24.4 percent of 18-24 year olds smoke in the United States).

A few designated smoking areas would most likely not accommodate so many smokers, and definitely not prevent us from smoking in non-designated areas while strolling to class.

Your suggestion for smoking areas away from buildings, windows and busy pathways leaves only the dumpsters and parking lots for us smokers. What a great way to safely accommodate your fellow students.

I wouldn’t call myself a revolutionary per se, just someone who feels that our civil liberties are being shat upon. Just because you don’t understand the pure joy that is smoking, doesn’t mean you can disregard our God-given right to smoke, and to smoke where and when we see fit. My only advice to you, Lisa Hust, is to stop sippin’ on that HaterAde.

Katie Bush
Western sophomore


Share this article:
Digg!     Reddit!     Del.icio.us!     Google!     Facebook!     Slashdot!     Newsvine!     



  Comments (2)
Posted by Rico Penguin, on Nov. 03, 2007 03:32PM

I have to agree completely with Ms. Bush here (never thought I'd say that about anyone with that last name). It is entirely unfair that we are stopping people from smoking where they please, I cannot understand any negatives to this situation. 
 
People act as if the smell is terrible, or that it causes your eyes to water, or that the smoke itself is about as good for you as tea bagging a belt sander. I can't think of anything I enjoy more than walking behind a group of kids each smoking and getting a nice coal train effect to my travels. 
 
It also adds for interesting scenery, besides the obvious winner of Alcohol, Cigarettes make up the most readily visible litter on campus. You can in theory count some 200k dollars in fines around the fine arts building alone (if each person was fined for each cigarette dropped). These wonderful resources help give western that natural look that people have been dying to see. 
 
It's wrong to put limits on any drug that major American leaders prophet from. There are reasons that Marijuana and other inhaled substances are bad, Uncle Sam knows best. If Jesus were here I'm certain he would be ablaze with rage over this injustice. God giveth us harmful chemicals and god wish us to die from them. 
 
For shame to Lisa Hust, for shame to anyone wishing to not smell of smoke, for shame to anyone who wants to have a window open but can't because a group of people are smoking below it and their room is being flooded (which is great for smoke detectors testing). I don't see why people are so harsh against smokers, what is with all these self-righteous punks attacking the poor innocent addicts. I'm enraged and I want this made right. 
 
There should be a protest held in red square where all of the Smokers can take a big tug on their lit cigarettes, blow it at passers by and then all together chuck their cigarettes to the ground. It's good for the environment, good for your lungs, and overall it makes you a better person.  
 
Long live the lord and his unknowing incorporation into issues like drugs and war. (If god ever gets cable tv or the internet I imagine he's going to be pissed with all the rights he's been attributed to giving). 
 
- Rico -
Posted by Usako, on Nov. 03, 2007 03:33PM

I'm tired of walking around campus and getting smoke blown in my face. I honestly wish there were designated smoking areas that were actually enforced. Too many times am I walking outside the art building trying to go to class and people are standing right next to the doors smoking. I prefer not to be inhaling second hand smoke, thank you very much. It makes me gag, almost puke, every time. Why should I have to reroute my walks to class just so I can have fresh air? I think it's more important to let people appreciate and breathe in healthy, fresh air than to accommodate those who are smoking their life away and bringing others' health down with them. 
 
I also wish bus stops on campus were smoke free. I can't stand sitting at a bus stop while someone takes in their God-knows-which-number cigarette they've had for the day. I don't have a choice but to sit there and let them do it while i breathe in the sickening air around me. 
 
Also, there's been too many times where I've been at my boyfriend's room in Ridgeway Gamma, and people are smoking outside on the steps down below. The windows in those areas aren't very good, and I think the residents have every right to be able to have their window open OR closed without smelling that crap. 
 
I still respect people who smoke just as any other person. But when they are smoking in areas where I and many other non-smokers have to sit or walk every day, I don't feel they are respecting us (in turn, making it very hard to respect them). We chose not to smoke for a reason, and second hand smoke isn't helping that reason in any way.  
 
Smoking areas would work just fine if people actually used them. Non-smokers would know which areas to avoid, and smokers would have an area to smoke as they please. I'm sure Western could designate enough areas to accommodate smokers. It's not like everyone smokes at once. 
 
You say it's your civil liberty to smoke? I feel it's my civil liberty to feel clean and healthy. Just saying ;p There's two sides to every story.

Only registered users can post comments.
Please login or register.