That said, we recognize each individual’s right to destroy their own body if they so wish.

However, develop lung cancer on your own time and on your own property! Stop polluting campus for the rest of us!

Recently, talk of a smoking ban at Missouri State University has come up, and we would like to throw our support behind this important measure wholeheartedly.

Beyond the damage smoking deals to the individuals who engage in this behavior, second-hand smoke also pollutes the air and damages the lungs of all who come near.

Designated smoking areas may sound like a good solution to the problem at first, but unless you are going to put the designated areas physically far away from the main campus, smoke will still drift about.

We all have a right to breathe clean air. No one has the right to take that away from us. Smoking creates a blight on the whole campus.

How to enforce this ban, you say?

Simple.

Fines. Lots and lots of fines.

Eventually, students will learn to put the cigarettes away.

Smokers can still smoke if they want to, but just take it off campus.

Students deserve to breathe easy.

-Jennifer Becker

For the Editorial Board