It seems like the campus constantly smells of cotton candy. As soon as I leave my dorm, clouds of smoke form a wall in front of me. It is a mixture of fruity scents and water vapor that has no business being there, at least not right outside the door. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with those who decide to fill their lungs with chemicals to get through the day, but I do have a problem when I am the one subjected to involuntarily breathing in those same chemicals. I do not choose to smoke or vape, so why should I be forced to walk through the clouds to go to class?
For years the rule for all smoking, even vaping, has been that you must be at least fifteen feet away from any building to smoke. I would think that this rule is a no brainer to follow: you want to smoke, stay away from the building, right? Well for some that fifteen feet is more like five feet, just enough that the smokers are away from the door per se, but not enough to not be a nuisance to others. If you choose to smoke, fine, but follow the rules for others’ sake.
For those who vape in the building, why? You know that it is not allowed and yet clouds continue to exit the buildings via open windows. The college has politely reminded the students, in email and posters, again and again, that smoking and vaping in the dorms and other buildings is prohibited. Prohibited, for those who don’t already know, means it is not allowed. So in other words, take your vaping outside in the rain, snow and sunshine.
So where are people supposed to go to vape and smoke then, if entryways and dorm rooms are out of the question? Outside of each building is an ashtray that tells where the designated area is, but these are not always fifteen feet away from a building. Really they are there for people to throw their cigarette buds away after they are done before they enter the building. In reality, smokers and vapors congregate around them to enjoy their lifestyle. Maybe the college should actually designate an area away from the doors where they can go to smoke and vape. It’s just an idea, but there needs to be consistency about where people can vape safely away from the doorways so I don’t have to walk through a cloud of cotton candy to get to class.