People not used to UG smoking ban yet
People not used to UG smoking ban yet
Door Denise Overkleeft
By Denise Overkleeft
Two parallel blue lines on the ground and various no-smoking signs designate the area between the UB and the Academy building where smoking is banned. Anyone who does light up will get a talking to from the UG stewards. They could even be fined, since the ban is legally binding.
Nonsense, says physics student Racula (20). ‘Who cares whether I’m smoking right here, or’, she says, as she jumps over to the other side of the blue line, ‘right here? People are going to smoke anyway. The rules won’t change anything.’
Biology student Fay Mavrepi (18) lights up next to the UB without a care. When told about the smoking ban, she’s surprised. ‘I can’t smoke here?’ she asks, incredulous. ‘You mean inside the building? Or outside?’
Zernike
Clearly, not everyone is aware of the smoking ban in the Broerstraat. At Zernike campus, in the meantime, there isn’t a smoker in sight. But then again, there aren’t that many students on campus, since many classes are being taught online.
Once classes are back on campus, it’ll be tough getting used to the new rules, says Fay. ‘After I’ve sat in class for an hour, my brain needs some nicotine. I’d hate it if I wouldn’t be able to smoke.’
She has been smoking less, since it’s no longer allowed at Zernike, a ban she did know about. ‘Fortunately, they’re not super strict. I got caught the other day and they gave me a warning, but I was still allowed to finish my cigarette.’
Fan
Other students do appreciate the new no-smoking policy. ‘I’m a big fan’, says Sandra Boznovska (21), a student of arts, culture and media. ‘If I were a non-smoker I wouldn’t like it if people blew smoke in my face.’
But the ban isn’t just about protecting non-smokers: it should also discourage smokers. The UG wants people to stop thinking smoking is normal. Sandra thinks it’s an admirable goal. ‘The world would be a much better place if no one smoked’, she says, taking another drag from her cigarette.