The new 50-foot perimeter smoking policy on campus has created an obvious divide among students.

I am a smoker attempting to quit so I can see both sides of this struggle.

I’ve talked to many non-smokers who are strongly in favor of the new policy because they are affected by the second-hand smoke of others.

Of course, many are disappointed that some people are not obeying the policy and that the university is doing little to enforce the new rule.

But as a former dedicated smoker, I am strongly in favor of smoker’s rights.

I can see that this policy, though not intentionally, does vilify smokers.

There are signs all over campus urging smokers to quit, but quitting is a personal choice and shouldn’t be expected of smokers just because of the new policy.

There was never this amount of anti-smoking propaganda on campus before the policy came into effect.

The truth is that the 50-foot perimeter simply isn’t feasible.

That is why people aren’t obeying the policy.

It is also hard to gauge exactly where the perimeter actually begins.

Few students, smokers or non-smokers, can tell how close is too close.

Most smokers do not want to intentionally annoy others with their second-hand smoke, but sometimes it is simply unavoidable.

Smokers should probably be more considerate and try not to smoke in the middle of large groups of people walking around campus.

But non-smokers should do the same and avoid areas where people are smoking.

It must become a mutual effort.

Students should not be forced to quit smoking or feel discriminated against for it.

I felt discriminated against when the policy was enacted because only two years ago I was allowed to smoke in my dorm room, and now I am not allowed to smoke practically anywhere on campus.

It was an extremely fast change of heart on the university’s part.

Another unavoidable issue is the cigarette butts that litter campus.

In the past I have contributed to the amount of cigarette butt litter on campus, but after seeing the buildup last year once the ashtrays were removed, I realized how ugly our beautiful campus could become so quickly.

Out of respect for our campus, cigarette butts need to be thrown in the garbage, not on the ground.

Butts are not biodegradable; not only are they unattractive, but they are also harmful to the environment.

Smoking is a personal choice and quitting is extremely difficult.

Smokers know about the harmful effects of smoking, but often we are hesitant to try and quit.

I would like to commend anyone who is trying to quit smoking, but I do not want to take away the right to smoke from anyone, nor vilify the habit.

The new 50-foot perimeter policy favors non-smoking students, but I understand and agree that the university should be promoting healthy lifestyles.

Perhaps the solution could be to set up a smoking area on campus, where tobacco users wouldn’t have to leave campus entirely, but could also be away from those who want to avoid second-hand smoke.

In order to unify our campus, smokers and non-smokers should begin working together to find a solution to the challenges posed by the new smoking policy.

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