Smoke Free Campus Research Paper

Universities Benefit from a Smoke-Free campus!

In the recent years, an increased number of colleges and universities have been instituting campus-wide smoking bans, prohibiting smoking anywhere on college grounds. The goal of the campus smoking ban is to discourage smoking by young people, improve the health of the students and staff, who are otherwise forced to inhale toxic smoke, and provide an overall cleaner environment. In addition to the obvious health and environmental benefits, the much-needed smoking ban can financially benefit the institutions themselves!

Cigarette waste results in dangerous and costly pollution. Discarded cigarette butts often end up in the street and on lawns, blowing anywhere the wind can carry them. For colleges and university, such as Rutgers, who have an agricultural farm on campus, this is particularly dangerous, as animals can easily ingest them or drink the dangerous pool of chemicals, called, leachates, that result when cigarette butts get wet. The chemicals and metals released by wet cigarette butts can also contaminate any lakes, ponds, or fountains found on many

campuses. This can not only affect any fish and amphibians in the water but the animals who drink it and any young they are carrying or nursing. Symptoms of accidental nicotine ingestion in animals include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, cardiac problems, respiratory depression, and death (Healton). The potentially deadly effects of nicotine toxicity are costly for colleges who will need to pay for the treatment or replacement of university-owned animals, as well as the treatment of any contaminated water.

While the cost of implementing and enforcing a smoking ban on campus may seem great, however, the costs of both are easily recoverable. An increasing number of grants are becoming available to aid colleges and universities offset the cost of implementing a smoking ban. CVS, for instance, offers $3.6 million per year as part of their 5-year campaign to stop young people from smoking. Through this grant program, the startup cost for 125 qualifying institutions will be reduced by almost $30,000. Many higher learning institutions also receive significant donations from generous Alumni who agree with the ban. With cigarette waste totaling thirty percent of litter, the money wasted on cleanup of college grounds is significant. Penn State University, for example, needs thirteen maintenance workers each who devote ten hours a week, simply to cleaning up cigarette butt waste from campus grounds, emptying trash cans, ashtrays, and other receptacles. That is equal to 6,760 hours and about $50,000 per year wasted by colleges in labor alone (based on minimum wage). Penn State estimates their cost due to cigarette refuse is $150,000 annually (Penn State). That money could otherwise be transferred to the college’s smoking ban budget. As cigarette smoking raises the issue of fire hazards, going tobacco-free may also decrease fire and property insurance premiums for those institutions who choose to implement them. By combining the money saved by litter reduction with grants and donations will limit, if not eliminate, any financial burden this ban may impose.

Colleges and universities with smoke-free campuses may even financially benefit from an increase in enrollment because of this policy.

Many parents concerned about the adverse effects of smoking or who are trying to encourage their teenager to quit smoking will likely choose smoke-free campus. Parents with children who will be residing on-campus will be particularly interested in smoke-free facilities, not only for health but for safety purposes. According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, almost ¾ of dormitory fires are caused by the careless disposal or abandonment of smoking material (CCFS). In smoke-free campuses, the risk of dorm fire is greatly reduced, putting the fears of many parents at ease. Even if this increases enrollment by just one student, it can mean a profit of $120,000 for the average four-year

college.

Cigarettes are extremely dangerous, the smoke is known to cause a variety of cancers in those who smoke, as well as those around them, they increase litter and potential fire hazards. The implementation of a campus-wide smoking ban will not only eliminate these dangers to the students but decrease property maintenance costs and increase enrollment. With the benefits being so evenly balanced, the questions should not be if a ban should be in place, but how quickly can a ban be in place.