Maricopa Community Colleges Going Smoke Free

The Maricopa Community Colleges will be smoke and tobacco-free, effective July 1, 2012.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• smokeout
• mcccd
• maricopa community colleges
• smokefree

[CalebHoernschemeyer]

I honestly hate this, And I dont even smoke anymore. I quit smoking and I am appalled by this.

1. This Was never EVER put to a vote or had student involvement in ANY way.

2. What percentage of students or faculty smoke on campus?

3. What percentage of students or faculty really care if people smoke on campus anyway?

All this will do is get more students kicked out of school, create more student rebellion, and have kids taking much longer "bathroom" breaks to go smoke.

[doug8doug]

Aside from the fact that public education is not a proper role for government, this specific policy demonstrates the trend of blatant disrespect for individual choice. This misguided mentality, which is so prevalent in today’s culture, remains largely unchallenged.

[lindarhima]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :( I'm an SCC student paying over $4000 to the school for out of state tuition and course fees. I would be irate if somebody came around the campus telling me to leave just for a cigarette. This is completely ridiculous. If SCC has such a big problem with smokers than they should try enforcing the already existent rule of smoking in designated areas to see if that fixes the problem before making another shitty arbitrary rule that takes away from our personal freedom!!

[offyd]

This is pure fascism and if you people actually try to tell other people what to do outside when it has absolutely no effect on others, you are no better than Nazis.

[Zalzany]

Serrously wheres a real link not just a 10 part comment gone arry to activatly do something against this. This to me is ignorant and prejudiced. As stated before I am an exsmoker, and people who push for this are the same people who hear ex smoker and act like your retarded, because they can't understand free will, or choice. These people took dare too seriously as an adult its your choice to legally poison yourself, just like the law already sets a safe buffer for smoking zones.

[doug8doug]

Solidarity Please?!

[doug8doug]

Again!

Are we going to let the new tobacco ban policy go unchallenged? Please review my (and other’s) prior posts and either "like" them, counter them or better yet, add your own in support of a repeal. If you believe in the free exchange of ideas, you can't sit idly by and let this happen. If you do believe in freedom and you do nothing to stop this encroachment, then you are complicit in this, the next and all further erosions of individual liberty.

[matt223418]

A lot of people smoke on campus, as of July 1st there's gonna be a lot of pissed off people walking around.

[slayerchic3]

dumb this crap why do worry about you and cut these pointless rules. its outside and not hurting you put your time into getting you cert cops from call othere cops to do things or fire them.

[doug8doug]

Are we going to let the new tobacco ban policy go unchallenged? Please review my (and other’s) prior posts and either "like" them, counter them or better yet, add your own in support of a repeal. If you believe in the free exchange of ideas, you can't sit idly by and let this happen. If you do believe in freedom and you do nothing to stop this encroachment, then you are complicit in this, the next and all further erosions of individual liberty.

[doug8doug]

Part 10:

Note #3: I will only respond to reasoned arguments opposing my comments. I will treat ad homonyms with the respect they deserve, which is to completely ignore them. If you do have a reasoned response that challenges my statement(s), I will be happy to engage you in debate. If you agree with my statements, please do “like” what I’ve said and any support via your own comments are welcomed and appreciated.

[doug8doug]

Part 9:

I am no “Libertarian” and the so-called “war on terror” (a tactic) has been nothing more than showering the evil Islamic totalitarian regime in Iran (the true enemy behind 9-11) with the notion that we are nothing more than a “paper tiger.”

Note #2: It may be argued that I am blowing this out of all proportion, but without a full context, this and any current event cannot be objectively evaluated.

[doug8doug]

Part 8:

It is clear to me that we are we have been and are at war with Iran for many years. Iran has directly attached the U.S. on multiple occasions (thus having declared war on us), dating as far back as the 1979 hostage situation during the Carter administration. This has continued from with transgressions in each subsequent administration (from Reagan to Obama) without any response other than appeasement.

[doug8doug]

Part 7:

For our direct effect, look to Iraq and other Arab countries where we have tried the failed Bush (and ALL prior administration’s) policies of “just war theory,” “spreading democracy” and all of the other “nation building” efforts that are squarely NOT in our own self-interest. In fact, they are counter to it. Without digressing too much, but to at least dispel potential counters to my statements on this, let me state that I certainly do believe in rational and appropriate self defense.

[doug8doug]

Part 6:

Note #1: To understand what the consequences of a “pure democracy” are, simply look at history. For a more current appraisal, simply look to Grease and to the European countries which are now experiencing rioting in the streets, even the mere suggestion of reducing “the public welfare” programs that they have fostered for years.

[doug8doug]

Part 5:

5. If “democracy” (in this or any other case) is allowed to go unchecked, the next ban will be on something that you may not endorse. For example, Dr. Glasper may be at some point targeted for being fat (and presumably unhealthy). As ridiculous as this may seem, just look at Michelle Obama’s “campaign against childhood obesity” and current legislation and school policies of many public institutions (adult and child) to see that this is a current reality.

[doug8doug]

Part 4:

4. Rather than science, political correctness and ideology seem to be the only basis for this policy. Just because we are continually bombarded from all parts of society (e.g., education, Hollywood, most forms of media, etc.), that “second-hand smoking is dangerous to the health of others,” does not make it so. The so-called “experts” who espouse this notion without using facts, are nothing more than politically correct “elitists,” who have no actual arguments that make their case.

[doug8doug]

Part 3:

3. There are no credible scientific studies that even come close to conclusively linking second-hand smoke with adverse health effects on others. If I am mistaken, by all means, please provide me with a link to any valid study. I have asked for this in my earlier posts, with no takers so far. Without such studies, there is absolutely no basis for this policy.

[doug8doug]

Part 2:

2. Per above, this policy not only affects smokers, but all students. We need to dispel the fallacious premise on which this policy is based. That premise is that the will of the majority can or should trump the rights of the minority. This “tyranny of the majority” is invalid on moral and constitutional grounds. Contrary to popular rhetoric and opinion, the United States of America is a “constitutionally limited republic.” It is a travesty to call America a “democracy.” (see note #1).

[doug8doug]

Part 1: The bottom line is this:

1. MCCCD is a publicly funded entity. Therefore, it has no legal (let alone moral) right to enact such a policy. I sincerely hope that not only the students directly affected by the policy, but also all students who believe in freedom, will do everything in their power to challenge and overturn this and other like policies.

[spritzer555]

Disgusting display of personal rights infringement. I dont smoke, but I might go get a pack to smoke a few cigs on the the day that the ban gets set in place just to make a point.

[mustangmaniac22]

@RoxasC08 "Serves them right to put smoking before education." Lets all be smart here, because I assume your in college as well. Carrying cigarettes on to school property and taking a smoke break in between classes is in no way putting smoking before education. Yes I mentioned that they could take bathroom breaks, but to put it in a similar analogy, its like you being extremely thirsty in class. ITS HARD.

And please dont think "oh they can just quit." I quit and it was EXTREMELY difficult.

[Heathafoeva]

I am not a smoker however, I do support having FREEDOM of making my own choices. If anyone bothered doing any research (rather than just listening to dramatized anti-smoking ads), it would be obvious that secondhand smoke is only harmful if confined and prolonged. Walking several feet away past a designated smoking area is not harmful. If they can ban smoking from an ENTIRE campus, what's next? Banning cell phones? If smoking is so unhealthy, they might as well ban sugar and processed foods!

[missbrixie]

I personally don't smoke, but I do not support this ban at all. So some students don't like walking by the designated smoking areas and smelling cigarettes? Well I don't like walking through the parking lot and smelling all of your exhaust. If you're going to ban smoking from the campus to improve air quality for other students, then you might as well enforce mandatory bicycles to be the mode of transportation to school. 30 seconds of smoke isn't that bad guys, walk more briskly then!!

[mmrainchaser]

I was a lab technician at a campus over 4 years ago when the DSA's went into effect. The verbiage was that there was to be no smoking within 25' of ANY doorway. Where I worked, that would have put any smoker in a parking lot, out in some remote sports field, or in the middle of a grassy quad.

I personally believe that smokers are catered too way to much. I grew up in a home of smokers, and overall they are a rather rude crowd. Be more considerate of me, and I'll be less critical of you.

[JosephTheDJ]

I like the smoke-free move as smokers harm others. The Maricopa Community College District has a legitimate interest in protecting the health of its students and employees from the actions of other. However, chewing tobacco harms no one but the tobacco chewer. As such, I see the tobacco free policy is an unjustifiable infringement on personal freedom and I am against it..

[KoyasuNoBara]

I saw a couple of comments where people mentioned that we have designated smoking areas. Since when? People smoke right outside the entrance to the math building, they smoke at those red tables right outside the student union, and they smoke on all the sidewalks that I have to use to get to my classes.

Heck, I did a freaking English paper last year on why we should have designated smoking areas. If any of the smokers I talked to were aware that we had DSAs, they never mentioned it to me.