I can walk to class having made the choice to protect my health by choosing not to smoke and – this has happened – have smoke casually blown directly into my face over some uncaring student’s shoulder. I won’t get cholera from this and there’s still a good chance I’ll make it through life without ever having lung cancer. But what if I had asthma? What if I had a bad cough and that smoke sent me into a coughing fit? What if I just really hated having some jerk blow smoke in my face?
With the first open forum on Northeastern’s consideration of a smoke-free campus taking place this week, the debate over the question is reaching a climax. Proponents of this ban have several talking points; among the most credible is that a smoke-free campus will discourage students from smoking. Research on the subject has resoundingly supported the idea that smoke-free campuses, as have been implemented at colleges and universities across the country, successfully accomplish this goal. But this empirical research is only relevant in relation to the normative question: Is it the university’s responsibility to make health choices for its students? This paper believes it is not.
In the midst of Wednesday’s morning commute, on the coldest morning of the year thus far, the Green Line stopped running. A cable fire in the tunnel between the Copley and Arlington stations disabled service through the heart of downtown – between Kenmore Square and Government Center – as well as service on Huntington Avenue’s E-Line. Within the same time period, three Red Line trains died on the tracks, delaying service for countless more.
This week, thanks to the Boston blog Universal Hub, I stumbled upon the MBTA Transit Police blog's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. It started last week with a post titled “Marijuana-FAQ.” Whoever writes this stuff should be given their own personal blog. Who knew the police could be funny (but it’s not THAT surprising, since they work on the T; you HAVE to have a sense of humor to do that). For example, in the “FAQ-Assaults, Body Odor, Alcohol…” post, a T rider asks why the police never responded when she complained of a person with sub-par hygiene sitting next to her on the train.
Smoking causes about one of every five deaths in the United States each year. Because 90 percent of adult smokers start their habit by age 21, college campuses are arguably the most important battleground in the fight to reduce tobacco-related disease. Indeed, although college smokers say they will quit upon graduation, research shows that the majority of them fail. Sadly, nearly one in 10 college students dies prematurely from tobacco use. In light of these tragic facts, it is imperative that Huskies support a smoke-free campus — a policy that would surely save lives.
The Institutional Master Plan (IMP) notification form Northeastern filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority last month represents a milestone in Northeastern’s decades-long transition from a large regional commuter school to the selective midsize research university it is recognized as today.
Second semester is here, and in many ways it’s a bit disappointing the world didn’t end last month. Especially for all of you sophomores who have a firmly set group of friends from freshman year and are wandering into Off Campus Student Services and making calls to real estate agents. Apartment hunting season is on.
The law students who comprise our chapter oppose a completely smoke-free policy, and urge Northeastern decision-makers to consider alternative methods, such as designating smoking areas, providing cessation support and reducing the harms associated with smoking in the university community.
