Campus smoking restrictions are not a ban. And no one is promoting prohibition. Smokers are free to smoke off-campus and/or address their addictions with gum, lozenges, patches, etc., which don’t affect the health of others. Campuses which have tried smoking sections know that they don’t work, and forcing smokers to exit workplaces, restaurants and shared public space does help them cut back on smoking. Some do quit.
The effort is not to ban any particular product or force anyone to quit. Smoke-free campuses simply help protect the health of students, faculty and visitors from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke, an effort which is reducing health care costs by the billions and saving lives.
— Carol Denney
UC Berkeley Alumnus ’78
