The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Print Edition
Letter to the editor submissions
Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.
Follow Us on Twitter
Crypto Exchange Listing: Types of Exchanges and Compliance Requirements
March 25, 2024

The crypto industry continues to evolve, fueled by the increasing institutional adoption of crypto. Today, numerous companies are entering the...

Banning smoking at Colorado State would be wrong

Smokers are annoying. It’s basically a fact. No one walks by a row of people lighting up, smells that gross combination of nicotine, tobacco and rat poison only cigarettes can deliver, and thinks “I wish this happened — everywhere — all the time.”

It’s this widely-shared angst that has led the Associated Students of CSU –– your student government –– to explore whether they should ban smoking (or tobacco in general) from campus. On Wednesday night, ASCSU Health Director Audrey Purdue presented the results of a student government survey that revealed 53 percent of students and 63 percent of faculty and staff support a smoke-free policy.

Ad

What’s disturbing is the idea that our student government would ever make the decision to move forward with a ban that would sacrifice minority rights. Especially when their reason would be to satisfy the opinion of the majority of students who think smoking’s just plain annoying.

Rights shouldn’t be overridden simply because they annoy people. Being mildly bothered by someone’s actions is not a valid reason to take away someone’s freedom to do whatever that may be.

Because you know what’s also annoying? Free speech. Those campus preachers –– be they political or religious radicals –– mercilessly harass students who just want to make it from one end of campus to the other in peace.

They may make our brain smoke, but that doesn’t mean we should ban their right to open their mouths.

Purdue stressed that ASCSU is still in the process of collecting the university’s opinion on the issue, promising to hold public forums that would allow students to speak their mind in a more informal way. She also said that student government hasn’t yet determined what they need to know to officially commit to push for a smoking ban.

Student government, as you continue to develop a position, make sure you remember to only limit someone’s freedom when they start to infringe upon the freedom of others.

That hardly ever means taking away the right to be annoying.

View Comments (4)
More to Discover

Comments (4)

When commenting on The Collegian’s website, please be respectful of others and their viewpoints. The Collegian reviews all comments and reserves the right to reject comments from the website. Comments including any of the following will not be accepted. 1. No language attacking a protected group, including slurs or other profane language directed at a person’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, physical or mental disability, ethnicity or nationality. 2. No factually inaccurate information, including misleading statements or incorrect data. 3. No abusive language or harassment of Collegian writers, editors or other commenters. 4. No threatening language that includes but is not limited to language inciting violence against an individual or group of people. 5. No links.
All The Rocky Mountain Collegian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • J

    JosephFeb 20, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    Its also students right not to have their health effected by people who want to ruin their health. If you want to smoke great do it in an area which effects you not me. I don’t want some in my body but that happens every time someone lights up and there is a group of students behind them. Plus if a the over whelming majority wants something their rights are more important. That’s why we have elections and vote.

    Reply