Smoking is grim and shouldn’t be allowed on campus

From coming out of lecture halls through a movie-worthy cloud of smoke that would make Instagram jealous, to walking behind a Harry Potter train impersonator, I began to question why smoking is even allowed on campus. As a non-smoker, I can see that it is a person’s right to do what they like and I don’t normally have an opinion on people who do smoke.

What does bother me, and others I've found, is when we are constantly subjected to the habit on campus. Our comfort is thrown to the way-side just to make space for theirs.

The paths on campus seem mostly clear of cigarette butts, but the drains are overflowing with them to the point that it looks like it’s been chain smoking Popeye style. The mess that smokers leave behind isn’t one of the worst aspects: being stuck behind a slow walker is bad enough, but constantly being caught behind someone smoking and getting as much smoke as they are isn’t exactly the highlight of my day.

DISGUSTANG

Clouds of smoke to the face are both unpleasant and unfair considering the health implications alone. Why should you have to deal with that when you have no choice in the matter? On the street it seems to be less of an issue, so why is it not more regulated in the closed ecosystem that is RHUL?

The worst part is people smoking so close to the buildings, especially when it makes others uncomfortable. The signs the university have put up are quite obviously redundant, particularly outside of halls.

I often come out of the building and find myself face to face with a gaggle of smokers within feet of the door. When it’s raining you can barely get through the door as people are blocking the way trying not to get wet whilst they smoke. This is seemingly acceptable to them, but spare a thought for the other people who live there and who are trying to access their own building.

The problem is that it isn’t always tobacco that’s being smoked but other more interesting substances. In most halls there seems to always be a stench of weed that covers most of the top floor seeping under the doors of the other flats. Even the lift is being used as a private smoking room. How does anyone think this is actually acceptable?

For what should be a relatively small life choice, it's affecting more than just the person who chose it. I’m not saying that smoking should be completely banned from campus. But a lot of people who don't smoke would like to see it restricted so that RHUL is more comfortable for everyone.