Point/Counterpoint: NIC's smoking policy - North Idaho College Sentinel

Michael Paquin – CON

As I stand on the corner of College Drive and Garden Avenue to make my highly introspective trek to the beach for a smoke, a large diesel F-250 passes me. Its tailpipe spews something resembling the antagonist from "Fern Gully." In spite of the obviousness of this assault on our lungs, this transgression will go virtually unreprimanded.

Despite the excessive amount of black smoke that winds around the rubber testicles hanging from his trailer hitch, I would be the one more likely to face retribution from an angry mob for simply smoking one cigarette.

It's no secret that society has been aggressively targeting smokers for almost two decades, but the restrictions of my rights as a smoker have finally reached their pinnacle; I'm no longer allowed to smoke on the very campus where I spend most of my time.

OK, I know people don't want to smell it, and I get it. Fortunately for them, I've given their predicament some serious thought, and I think I've found a solution: Don't stand next to it.

Really, it's hard for me to believe people are sincerely afraid of the dangers of second-hand smoke if they're willing to approach a smoker with the intention of lecturing them, when they should be running for cover if they truly believed in the deadly carcinogens to which they might be exposed.

Proponents of a smoke-free NIC will argue that we all share this air, and that's exactly my point as well. This current system doesn't resemble sharing in the slightest. There has to be at least 100,000 gallons of air in NIC's immediate atmosphere, and not a single spoonful is reserved for smokers.

I'm not the type to complain about a problem without offering what would be, in my opinion, a mutually beneficial solution.

If we were to build small enclosures or "smoker pods" in convenient yet discreet places around campus, I think everybody would be happy. Hell, we could even paint them Cardinal red. Everybody wins.

However, for as much sympathy as I have for smokers, I'll admit we've been abusing our rights, and now we're at least partially responsible for these extreme measures. It's important to remember we should be standing at least 20 feet from an entrance while smoking, and it's always poor form to smoke around children and the elderly.

That being said, all I'm arguing is that issues non-smokers have can easily be avoided with a little planning on the part of the college, and a little consideration from the smoker. But to restrict smoking all together is like solving a headache with a guillotine. Smokers pay their tuition just like everyone else.
In light of this fact I'd like to pose just one simple question regarding our air: Can't we just share it?

Angel Tesch – PRO

David Tesch smoked most of his life. He was a solider, a father, and the kind of man that you'd want to have around. He was an Army soldier, so a lot of his friends smoked, causing him to be around smoke most of the time. After a while, he contracted lung cancer. He spent the next few years slowly losing his strength. The sickness was hard on his family as well, watching him suffer in constant pain.

He died of lung cancer at 49, leaving behind a 4-year-old daughter, a wife and seven other children. He was my father. I've seen firsthand the dangers of second-hand smoke, and I feel the NIC ban of tobacco is a good thing for the health of the community.

Many things have been proven to cause cancer, and tobacco is among them. In today's world we have smog, pollution and more factors making the air less safe for humans. This is certainly making the air less safe and healthy for every generation that is to come. If one thing can be stopped, why shouldn't it?

Tobacco has been proven to cause many kinds of cancer. Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer while chewing tobacco causes gum cancer. And tobacco doesn't just cause cancer. There are still many more kinds of tobacco-related illnesses, like emphysema.

Some forms of tobacco hurt others who aren't even the first party in question, such as second-hand smoke. This is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Ridding the world of toxic fumes is something that could have been done long ago.

Now, in Idaho, there is a law that states you must be at least 20 feet away from a publicly owned building when you smoke. Little to no smokers follow that law; if they did maybe it wouldn't be as big of an issue.

Maybe NIC should have smoker-friendly areas because it is hard for an addicted person to go hours without a cigarette or other forms of tobacco. The deprivation can be hard and may cause academic stress for NIC's smoking student population.

On the flipside, why should non-smokers be subjected to yet another harmful chemical in the air? With all the potential health problems in today's world, forcing people to be exposed to smoke when it can be stopped does more harm than good.

"As a non-smoker it's nice," said Zack Cooper, 18, nursing.

No smoking on campus means less litter. Before this rule was enacted, it wasn't hard to find a cigarette butt on the ground. While not every smoker litters, it is a fact that there tends to be a lot in areas frequented by the smoking population. A clean NIC provides a better working environment.

While NIC's tobacco-free policy may not be something everyone agrees with, it is necessary and proactive in maintaining a healthy student body.