Sacramento State requires those who smoke to do so at least 20 feet away from the buildings on campus. Considering the harmful effects caused by smoking, Sac State would benefit students more if it were a smoke-free campus.

Those who do not smoke should not have to feel like they are at a hookah lounge while trying to scarf down a Togo’s sandwich outside the River Front Center.

“I do notice the (cigarette) butts on the ground, which I think is inconsiderate and sloppy,” said Poul Larsen, junior journalism major. “There’s no respect when it comes to smokers. They get irritated if someone (a non-smoker) gets annoyed by their smoking.”

If Sac State became smoke-free, it would mitigate this kind of a problem. It is not so much an issue of imposing restrictions on students’ personal rights, but it is about public health and safety.

In its “Vital Signs” publication, the Centers for Disease Control recently reported that 443,000 people die from a tobacco-related cause every year.

Living healthy in today’s world is crucial to how tomorrow’s generation will turn out.

Raquel Semintal, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood, said most young people are not smoking because it is cool; they are smoking because they are inherently prone to smoking.

“Young adults that smoke, particularly those that our education clinics in Sacramento, Sierra and the Foothills work with, have had a parent or close relative that were heavy smokers,” Semintal said.

Remember going through grade school and being taught how raunchy smoking is? Our generation has always been encouraged to refrain from smoking through campaigns and advertisements, and still is.

This is not to say that we should discriminate against smokers and punish them for their preferences.

Sac State does not have an issue enforcing higher standards in regards to enrollment acceptance, conduct and graduation requirements, so why leave promoting the development of healthy life habits out?

Let’s lead the university in a healthy direction by making Sac State smoke-free.

Talecia Bell can be reached at [email protected].