"Smoking and tobacco use are prohibited in all Miami University-owned facilities and on the grounds of any University-owned property. This includes all buildings owned or controlled by Miami University, shelters, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, indoor and outdoor theatres, bridges, walkways, sidewalks, residence halls, parking lots, and street parking and garages controlled by the University (will include inside personal vehicles parked on University property as of January 1, 2014). Smoking and tobacco use are prohibited on sidewalks that adjoin University property. Smoking and tobacco use are also prohibited in any vehicle or equipment owned, leased, or operated by Miami University." — Miami University Smoke-Free Policy
When I found out that my top choice for a University was tobacco-free, I was incredibly ecstatic. You see, my mom has COPD and a ton of other breathing problems due to cigarettes. For that reason and many others, I have a horrible outlook on cigarettes.
Additionally, though, campus being tobacco-free meant I wouldn't have to deal with trying to avoid having friends who smoke. It meant my mom could come and visit me without almost passing out at the smell of smoke. It meant I didn't need to rewash my clothes before I went home so my mom couldn't smell the faint smell of smoke wafting up the stairs into the kitchen.
Since stepping on campus, though, I realized that this is tobacco-free policy is highly underenforced.
Almost every day I walk to class, I see at least one or two people smoking on the sidewalk, obstructing my smoke-free passage. I see people smoking behind or in front of my dorm, just along the road, and even just outside the library. I know that if my mom were to walk that way, she'd be already out of breath and then have to hold her breath to avoid the strong smell of smoke.
But a tobacco-free campus isn't just for people like my mom it's for people like my boyfriend, who has asthma and coughs and hacks every time we pass by a smoker. It's for children who are exposed to second-hand smoke way more often than should be legal. It's for you and me, people who are not addicted to tobacco and hopefully will never be, because it's just not cool anymore.
Sadly, not only are people smoking cigarettes outside, they're vaping inside.
At Miami, it's usually in the form of a Juul. Not only have I seen this happen outside, but I have watched students walk into buildings, take a quick puff, and put it away. My friends have even watched people do it in large lecture halls.
Still, I can't recall hearing one instance of someone being punished for smoking on campus, despite the fact that I, only one student out of 18,000, see it happen multiple times a week.
Miami, maybe you have more important things to do, but if this is not on your priority list, you cannot claim it.
Stop lying to incoming students and falsely promising them that they will not be affected by tobacco on this campus. They will see it, smell it, and experience it. It's a very real concern for some people who have lost their freedom due to cigarettes.
If you will not enforce your tobacco-free policy, you cannot claim it.
