OUR PROPOSAL
Smoking is a distinct public issue on the University of Kentucky’s campus. Although the use of tobacco products has already been banned by the university administration with the implementation of the tobacco policy, there is still a substantial amount of resistance or noncompliance.
This is a problem because it is not fair to the students, faculty, and visitors on campus who choose not to engage in the same behavior, since it negatively affects the health of all people in close approximation to the smoker. It contaminates the environment and damages lung health, not only of the smoker, but also of others on campus.
The opposition or unawareness of the tobacco policy on campus shows that it is not being properly enforced by the administration. We believe that it is the responsibility of the administration to educate the community, to increase awareness of the policy, and to enforce compliance. These will all work together to generate more compliance, thus creating a healthier and safer campus environment.
Educate.
Education is empowerment. It’s a way of giving individuals the tools necessary to create a better community for themselves and others, which is why we believe it’s an effective method of enacting change on campus. It’s important to offer information and research about smoking that will motivate people to comply to the policy or to quit smoking altogether. Thus, we think that seminars and events on campus that allow individuals to get involved and learn more about the issue will be beneficial to building a safer and healthier community for everyone. Providing individuals with the complete knowledge of smoking and UK’s policy will increase the likelihood of them feeling confident enough to act when they see violations. Also, providing resources to help prevent or treat tobacco usage are vital because they give individuals the support they need to quit smoking.
Raise Awareness.
Increasing awareness of the policy is important to fostering greater compliance. Many people don’t know about the tobacco free policy on campus, as shown in the video, so we believe that the administration should make the effort to make the policy well-known among the campus community. Increasing the placement of posters and signs around campus is effective because it makes the community more aware and reminds them to comply. Also, publicizing the policy more on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter will help reach more people to remind them of the policy and its qualifications. The more people that know about the policy, the less likely they will engage in the use of tobacco products. Furthermore, raising awareness of the policy will increase the likelihood that people will confront violators.
Enforce.
If greater compliance is to be achieved, it is necessary that the University of Kentucky increases enforcement of the Tobacco-free policy. An effective way to enforce the policy is through the implementation of a fine of $150 for violations. This will motivate individuals on campus to obey the policy because they don’t want to pay the price for smoking. This also changes how the community perceives the policy. People on campus will take it more seriously because of the risk involved of losing money, rather than ignoring the policy due to lack of repercussions. We also believe that employing the campus police to patrol the campus to a greater extent will help to ensure that the community follows the rules. Enforcement is important to achieving a healthier and safer campus at UK.
What other ways could the administration improve the Tobacco-free policy's effectiveness on UK's campus? Leave your comments below!