OSU now a non-smoking university
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — A campus-wide smoking ban has gone into effect at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
A sign outside the Memorial Union informed visitors and students Saturday that OSU is a now a non-smoking campus.
The Gazette-Times reports that the ban applies to all indoor and outdoor spaces controlled by OSU, including its various satellite campuses around the state.
Oregon State and the University of Oregon both announced in 2010 that they would enact the ban this year to provide a healthier environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
OSU joined the University of Oregon, which also officially banned smoking on campus Semptember 1st. The UO smoking ban includes all University-owned lands, including Autzen Stadium.
Both universities say that they will place trash cans outside the campus for smokers to properly dispose of cigarettes before coming onto campus property. Anyone caught leaving a cigarette butt around campus could face littering fines.
Well now that they have banned a legal product that the state collects a tax on, why stop there and ban alcohol which the state also collects tax on. Also if you were to calculate all the amount of ill that alcohol has caused it would show that smoking couldn't even come close. So what is it anyway, would someone step up to the plate here and explain exactly why they would ban smoking and not alcohol. Come on now don't be shy. I want to see some statistics, some proof that smoking is worse than alcohol on all levels from drunk driving to spousal abuse, to child abuse, to fighting, to liver disease, to heart disease, to homelessness, to job loss, and a host of other ills caused by alcohol. Come on.... I don't smoke, nor do I drink, so I really don't have a dog in this fight, except I hate to see peoples rights stepped on.
 @souptonuts Drinking outside of residence halls is already banned. Inside residence halls, alcohol isn't known to waft over and enter the body of those around the drinking person. You're using the word "rights" a bit liberally.
@PleaseBeSmart @souptonuts See it as you will, I say if it is legal, then someone is stepping on someone else's rights.  Now if I were a smoker I would not smoke next to someone that it annoyed, because I try to respect others. I still say alcohol has caused infinitely more problems than smoking ever did or will.
 @souptonuts Lots of things that are legal are still just privileges, not rights. Smoking on land that doesn't belong to you is clearly a privilege. The rights lie with the property owner. And I would agree with you that alcohol has caused far more problems than smoking, but that's of little consequence concerning this matter.