Your Rights... My Rights... Who's Right?

Research findings indicate that tobacco use in general, including smoking and breathing second-hand smoke constitutes a significant health hazard. Second-hand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke is a Class A carcinogen. It can have many adverse effects on your health such as triggering asthma, causing lung cancer, and causing cardiovascular and lung diseases. As members of the Tulane University community, all students, faculty, and staff share in the responsibility for creating and maintaining a healthy and productive environment for work and study. Did you know Tulane University is a tobacco-free campus with a tobacco-free campus policy? One of the areas this policy addresses is the use of tobacco products on university properties. The policy reads: University Properties:

• Smoking is permitted on campus in designated areas only. Anyone smoking outside of these areas is in violation of this policy.
• Smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings and outside in areas of the campus where non-smokers cannot avoid exposure to smoke. Specifically, smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings, including classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, offices, work areas, study areas, reception areas, meeting rooms, lobbies, hallways, stairwells, elevators, eating areas, lounges, and restrooms. Furthermore, smoking is prohibited in all partially enclosed areas such as covered walkways, breezeways, and walkways between sections of buildings, parking garages, and bus stops shelters, areas immediately adjacent to building entrances, and exterior stairways and landings.
• Smoking is prohibited in all Tulane University residential facilities, residential halls, and apartments.
• Smoking is prohibited up to 25 feet outside any enclosed area where smoking is prohibited to ensure that 2nd hand smoke does not enter the area through entrances, windows, ventilation systems, or any other means.
• Organizers and attendees at public events, such as conferences, meetings, public lectures, social events, and cultural events, using Tulane facilities will be required to abide by the University tobacco policy. Organizers of such events are responsible for communicating this policy to attendees and for enforcing this policy.
• Smoking is prohibited in all Tulane vehicles.Is this policy an infringement on the rights of Tulane University students, faculty, and staff who have chosen to smoke or is it protecting the rights of those who don’t smoke to be free from second hand smoke? A section of the policy emphasizes prohibiting the sale of such products on campus grounds i.e. cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc.

Do you think the sale of tobacco products should be allowed on campus? Why or why not? What are your thoughts….Your rights…my rights…who’s rights should be considered?