Eagles Care for Clean Air is a great initiative that promotes the health and wellness of FGCU students, faculty, staff and visitors. I do not believe this endeavor is a criticism of people who smoke; however, I do believe it is a necessary criticism against the consequences of smoking.
If someone wants to smoke cigarettes, it is their choice, but it is important to remember that allowing students to smoke on a college campus exposes their peers to secondhand smoke.
At FGCU, it is nearly impossible to pass by the smoking area without getting a face full of smoke. The smell of the smoke clings to your clothes, your hair and your lungs even after you have walked by.
It isn’t healthy or pleasant for individuals to be inhaling smoke as they walk to different buildings and classrooms on campus.
I believe this initiative will send a positive message to students, faculty and the entire FGCU community because we are promoting health and wellness. The wellbeing of students should be a top priority at FGCU, and this initiative emphasizes the significance of our health.
Furthermore, becoming a smoke- and tobacco-free campus will reflect positively on our university, since having clouds of smoke in the middle of campus does not look great to visitors, prospective students or parents who visit our university.
There is no denying the health detriments of smoking, but Eagles Care for Clean Air is about more than just the the risks of smoking; it is about our university being a serious place of higher education.
A letter from Wilson Bradshaw, the president of FGCU, provides various reasons for the decision to make FGCU a smoke- and tobacco-free institution beginning in the 2016 summer semester. The full statement can be found at www.fgcu.edu/cleanair/.
“Our decision to become smoke-free and tobacco-free is in keeping with many other public institutions in Florida and across the nation that have embraced a culture of improving health while also maintaining the beauty and vitality of their campus environment,” Bradshaw said in the statement. “At FGCU, there has been campus-wide discussion and feedback on this topic by students, faculty, and staff over the past few years, and now is the time to move forward in a concerted manner to make the University a healthier place to learn, work, and prosper by becoming free of smoke and tobacco.”
It is crucial to promote learning, health and happiness at FGCU, and this initiative spreads a good message.
I can already hear the retorts now, such as declarations that people have the right to smoke and that it isn’t anyone’s business to tell people who smoke what to do. Well, the university isn’t telling anyone that they can never smoke anywhere ever again. The university has simply made the decision to no longer allow smoking on campus. People can smoke off campus.
Eagles Care for Clean Air is an excellent initiative that highlights the development of our university. As an institution of higher education, it is imperative to set a good example and to promote positive messages. This initiative will keep our campus clean, and it will provide a safe and healthy place for individuals to study and learn.