In response to Nicole Northcutt's Oct. 25 letter "Smoking ban necessary to avoid health risks":
I agree completely with Nicole that students should not be smoking by the entranceways of campus buildings. It is discourteous and does not represent responsible smoking — that is, smoking with concern for others. This is already banned by current ASU policy; how will banning smoking everywhere be any different? Regarding the health risks of secondhand smoke, the majority of studies and estimated morbidities deal with indoor smoking. This is also already banned by ASU policy and has been for decades. If Northcutt is concerned about her exposure to carcinogens, there are numerous sources all over campus that produce far more pollutants than cigarettes. I would point to the enormous diesel powered crane rumbling next to the SRC swimming pool producing tens of thousands of Watts from diesel and expelling up to 6 percent by volume carbon monoxide or the bridge over University, which exposes students to fumes from the traffic below.
The correct course for the University is to enforce existing prohibitions and for smokers to be conscientious rather than institute a sloppy, unenforceable ban on the vast outdoor spaces where there is plenty of room for people of different lifestyles and persuasions to congregate. To do otherwise diminishes the robustness of student diversity and undermines the liberty which between them are ASU's greatest virtues. I hope that we can continue to enjoy these boons without compromising them in the name of intolerance.
Ryan Brosch
Undergraduate
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