By Angelina O’Donnell
Staff Writer
Walking toward the entrance to Cashman Hall you see a graveyard of cigarette butts. You might also see a group of international students talking outside of the residential hall, smoking. Although the campus banned tobacco two years ago, cigarettes keep finding their way onto campus. Cashman, home to many international students, has a particularly high number of students who smoke.
“Every time I see the bunch of cigarettes on the ground [outside of Cashman Hall], I feel guilty even though I know it is not my fault,” said Lex Li ’22, a Chinese international student who does not smoke. “Because I know that some international students left those cigarettes on the ground.”
“The tobacco-free policy began in 2016,” said Doug Babcock, director of Public Safety on campus. After the rule was broadcast to the campus Babcock found that a good amount of students who smoke are international students. When he or any of the other officers have to confront an international student about smoking on campus he says the students respond as though they were, “Feeling talked down to.”
But Babcock said he believes that international students are unfairly targeted by the rule.
Cultures are different, especially those who are not from America, Babcock said. He added that there are religious cultures where people cannot drink, therefore smoking is an option for them to relieve stress. Or in some cultures smoking is socially acceptable, but this rule on campus says, “Our vices are ok, yours are not,” Douglas said.
Douglas shared one story in which an international student had been fined for having an illegal piece of glass, a hookah. Normally public safety would smash any illegal glass, but this case was different. The student exlained that it was a family heirloom. This really opened Babcock’s eyes to see how laws such as no smoking on campus could potentially target international students.
Mahmoud Arani, a professor of Applied Linguistics, was on the committee that decided to enforce the no tobacco on campus policy. “Basically the college thought that not allowing smoking on campus would improve the health of the community,” he said.
Arani said he feels as though the best way to deal with a student smoking on campus is through education. “The way we approach it is through education, in our classes we have students do some reading about the hazards of smoking.” He emphasizes how the value of education can highly influence those who do smoke to stop. Over his 28 years teaching on campus he has seen a decline of student and even faculty smoking on campus.
Li does not smoke, but his roommates do. All seven of his roommates smoke, but they respect Li’s choice of not smoking. “I don’t smoke because I know the harmful effect of smoking goes beyond intoxication. In my own word, smoking is depriving your life,” said Li. “However, as a friend, I always walk with them to smoke.”
Li’s friends always invited him to come smoke with them. He explained how although he did not participate in the cigarettes just him being there with them was fine. They went out at least once a day, the more stressful school got, the more often they were out there. “I asked one of my friends why he smoked, and the answer was about the study pressure and addiction,” said Li.
He agreed that this was a time to destress with the people they trust, being so far away from home these groups are what they need. “My friends know it is prohibited on campus, but it is hard to them to find other locations to smoke [because of the distance], other than outside of Cashman,”Li said. “What they do to respect the campus is that they always make the best of disposing of our cigarettes after.”
Yaya Iida is a transfer student from Japan. She started smoking cigarettes because of her ex-boyfriend. “The first time we were dating, he just passed the cigarette to me.” said Iida. However, it had turned into an addiction that she faced daily. “I smoked for 2 years.”
“I definitely know it is unhealthy. My aunt passed away last year because of lung cancer. At that moment, I wanted to quit smoking, but I just can’t because of my friends,” Iida stated. “Every time my friends asked me to smoke , I would say no,” said Iida. “But they just ‘force’ me to smoke with them, and then I surrender. my determination is not strong enough.”
Iida also mentioned that the most important part of smoking to her was making friends. She said, “Most of my friends both in Japan and St. Michael’s are smokers.”
Due to both the smoking addiction and “smoking-free” sign, Iida changed her smoking patterns. “I will feel guilty smoking in front of the signs, but I would choose to ignore them. Sometimes, however, I will smoke away from the campus for respecting the policy,” Iida said.
When asked how to improve the smoking-free policy, she said, “I think it’s unfair. I hope the school could set up some smoking areas or some litter bins, so the smokers will go to the smoking area and not influence others and the environment.”
The Bergeron Wellness Center is having a Great American Smokeout. Thursday the 15th come into the center to pledge to quit smoking for a day! To help there will be information about local support, along with day’s worth of nicorette gum.