4 the clackamas print
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
A smoking hot face off battles o
Cleanse our campus of smoke
Fight for our right to smok
By Matthew Ostergren
Arts & Culture Editor
I have observed countless underage
smokdrs on campus and it is a dis
couraging sight. Smoking will affect
their health for the rest of their lives.
It creates all sorts of health problems
that often don’t manifest until much
later in their lives and because of
this, short-sighted teens often pick
up this bad habit. If teens are not
able to smoke while on campus,
hopefully they will not start smok
ing at all.
Around the smoking shacks one
can find any number of discarded
cigarette butts lying on the ground.
Not only is this disgusting, as those
butts have been in people’s mouths,
it is also litter that someone will have
to pick up. Well either that, or some
squirrel or bird will try to eat it, and
that is just not good. It costs the col
lege much needed funds to pick up
the shit that someone so carelessly
tossed onto
rogress is something that
often comes slowly, butt
whether it is social or tech
nological, sit is often inevitable in
its march. In an ideal world, people
manage their habits not only to
maintain their personal health but
also out of consideration for others.
There is currently talk on campus
of banning smoking entirely. Already
people are only allowed to smoke in
restricted spaces on campus. This
is certainly an improvement over
Yiçivmg a tightly packed, group
of smokers standing right out
side the door every time you
walk outside of a building.
That being said, it would cer
tainly be a further improve
ment to the environment on
campus if smoking were
banned altogether. There
are slew of reasons as to
why smoking should be
banned on campus, and
I would be delighted
to share a few of them
with you.
People can com
plain how the cam
pus is a public place,
but it is a shared
public place, and
other people have
to share the air.
For someone who
doesn’t smoke, it is
rather unpleasant to
walk past the cloud
of smoke emanat
ing from-the smoke
shacks on campus. It
leaves a bad taste in
the mouth and a sense
the ground. It also leaves the
of disgust in the mind.
air around, it smelling burnt and
Beyond that, tobacco1- smoke foul. The litter and the money used
doesn’t just affect the health of the to discard it do not make the college
smoker; it affects the health of any look good when the college is look
one who has-to breathe the smoke. ing to get grant money from the state
It seems hardly just for' others to or find potential donators.
be forced to inhale the smoke when
Smoking is an expensive habit,
they have made the health-conscious and students who attend CCC are
■decision to not smoke themselves. already poor enough. If their smok
For those who have asthma; sec ing can be limited, it could free
ond-hand smdkeis an. even greater up needed funds for much more
concern.
important things like rent, food and
Some smokers, may complain that tuition. Those dollars spent on packs
they need to get their nicotine fix in could go to something of so much
order to function properly during the mo$e use to everyone.
day, but it is not fair to those who
Progress is important in an
have no choice but to be around it.
institution; but even more so in an
My concerns extend beyond sec institution dedicated to education.
ond-hand smoke however. ' If-you Clackamas can and should lead the
haven’t noticed, there-are a large, way. The banning of smoking in
number of minors on campus. Out various locations is not a new thing.
of any demographic, teenagers are It is time for CCC to get on board,
thé most susceptible to social pres and push for a healthier environment
sures to start smoking. It is impor and lifestyle. The costs' are almost
tant to maintain an environment that) nil, and the potential gains are enor
•encourages teens to avoid smoking- mous.
By John Hurlburt
Co-Editor In Chief
mokers better start stock
ing up on Neosporin because,
once again, we are about to get
burned.
'As expected, Clackamas is now talk
ing about making the campus smoke-
free. The announcement comes as no
surprise. Ever since the smoking shelters
were implemented, it felt like the col
lege was on the verge of sliding down
a very steep slope towards ridding itself
of the annoyance that smokers bring to
the campus.
Why wouldn’t we want to get rid of
these cancerous tumors that are clogging
up the campus’ collective lung?
My only response is at this point,
who cares if smokers stay on campus?
When the smoking shelters were
implemented, I absolutely despised the
idea of herding tobacco partakers into
tiny stables like a bunch of cattle for the
slaughter. But the shelters grew on me;
they gave
S
P
smokers a dry place, sometimes
with wind barriers, to practice in their
habit. They also sectioned off the smok
ers into areas where those who did not
want to be bothered by the smoke could
easily avoid its pungent smell. The situ
ation felt like a win-win.
The reality ultimately related more
towards the cattle in a slaughterhouse.
CCC had begun easing -smokers into
realizing they had no more hope to keep
their habit alive on campus.
Was there really a problem with the
shelters? Most would probably say no
but in order to stay cutting edge and
look good in the state’s eye, meaning
more grants and more funding, right now
Clackamas needs to establish itself as a
progressive institution.
This has led to great innovations at
the school such as the Veteran’s Center,
but there is always a negative to the
positive and right now smokers are tak
ing a knockout punch to the face in the
school’s quest for visibility.
Institutions such as OHSU and
Portland Community College have
already become smoke-free. Ev
city of Portland has announced n
to be a smoke-free city in the Ion
The recent bar and restaurant]
ing ban has only gone on to pro]
smokers are the new object ufl
public’s magnifying glass, and ij
we are looking like ants in the sis
a small boy.
Even though it does give the]
better visibility on the state’s
mindless trend following almoa
works out. Easily avoidableeva
as the Salem witch trial, the]
onment of Galileo, McCal
the holocaust and “Twilighfl
have been avoided if peopll
more into independent fl
than following the group. 1
The ousting of smoker]
a public health concemjl
fad. If health was the iss|
would be expelling the]
who spray too muci
body spray or Gucq
fume. We would pro]
pie who don’t use I
ant into broom closa
lock them in thera
they broke and boa
stick of Old Spice.]
Perfumes and]
sprays are allergens]
lar to smoke, and]
smoking on camp]
can be forced to sil
to somebody whill
choke off your wil
with their injuriol
grance.
I
Not only is the]
ing ban a mindless!
oppress one group I
pie in order to get ■
for the institution as a wl
also creates an academic disabili]
the oppressed group.
I
Smokers do not work to the]
potential unless they are able to I
their right to smoke. Forcing sill
to crowd into parking lots during]
10 minute break between biolog]
Spanish will cause smokers to]
be late to class, which would]
instructors, or to skip the cigareti
face class in a state of agitation. I
Some smokers may quit or stall
smokeless products such as snusin]
but most will blitz to the parkin]
attempt to consume their smoke ]
inhale and run back to class sweaty]
and late.
I
Students aren’t the only co]
either. School staff and faculty]
smoke will be forced into the]
edges of the campus searching f]
closest parking lot. Breaks will be]
by marching away for a cigareti]
overall efficiency will be lost due]
time and effort taken to get a breaB