It won’t be long until the only clouds on campus will be in the sky.
Ferris has received a grant from the American Cancer Society’s Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative, funded by the CVS Health Foundation, to adopt a 100 percent smoke and tobacco-free campus policy, according to a recent press release from the Ferris Public Health Student Association.
And yes, this does include blowing fat “Os” out of your vape.
How the policy will be enforced is up to the students in the Ferris Public Health Student Association and they may consider getting the Department of Public Safety involved, according to Ferris public health senior Alyson Hill.
“I mean, I understand that not everyone would want a cloud of smoke or vape blown in their face. I think having it student-run is probably a better idea. I don’t think DPS should be involved. I don’t think fines are fair because obviously Ferris hasn’t always been a smoke free campus,” Ferris advertising integrated marketing communications sophomore Brandon Watros said.
For some students, the policy comes as a relief.
“I hate when people are smoking outside my dorm because the wind blows the smoke inside my room when my window is open,” Ferris interior design freshman Jordyn Hugan said.
There are also mixed feelings on whether or not the policy violates students’ rights to buy and use tobacco products after the age of 18.
“Once you turn 18 you have the right to buy and use tobacco products to your discretion and I don’t think that taking that right away is fair to a lot of people,” Watros said.
A major goal of the policy is to educate students about the severity of the health concerns related to tobacco products and smoking.
“I see a lot of people [smoking] and when I see it I think people don’t really understand what they’re really doing to their bodies,” Ferris pre-pharmacy freshman Molly Gabrielson said. “People don’t understand the path they’re putting themselves on.”
Vaping is known to be an alternative to smoking that is often used to help people quit smoking and some students feel that vaping shouldn’t be included in the policy.
“I don’t think that vaping is as big of an issue as smoking. I think there are people who are trying to quit smoking by vaping and I don’t think it’s really fair to them to take that as well,” Watros said.
With the resources and support provided by The American Cancer Society, the Public Health Student Association will work to implement the new policy through educating students on their health, as well as support for those who wish to quit smoking.
“Because it really is a huge issue: smoking causes cancer, it’s a known fact. It’s just not okay that it’s still allowed here. We’re one of the few campuses left that does allow it,” Hill said.