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

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