N.K.U, No more smokefor you Jimmy White ’13 Northern Kentucky University is making the switch to Division 1 in all sports. Can they possibly also become the healthiest campus in greater Cincinnati? To do so they are going to make the campus a smoke-free area. Many students on campus definitely agre ewith this change, but some of the smokers disagree. Making N.K.U smoke free is only one step in changing the world of on campus living. Many other schools do have the same policy and are taking the same approach. A poll shows that 59% of Kentucky wants a state-wide smoke-free law. This has gone up from 54% in 2011 and from 48% in 2010. “I think it’s a very positive thing. If we’re going to be one of the healthiest work places in the area, we need to have a tobacco free policy,” says N.K.U Chairman Terry Mann. N.K.U’s student body president,Erik Pederson, supports the new policy completely. “There’s going to be a pushback,” says Erik, noting that fewer students smoke since enrolling at N.K.U. Schools such as U.K, Louisville and Miami all have the same policy with a tobacco free zone on campus. This is avery good thing because with second hand smoke none smokers are inhaling 24/7. U.Cis banning smoking on campus, but only on the medical school portion of campus.It has yet to be banned on the west side of campus; and that’s where all of the undergraduates stay. There are now more than 800 smoke-free public places in the United Sates. In the year 2006 there were only about a dozen smoke-free public places. This is amazing because it shows just howfar the country has come in trying to protect the lives of others by making it healthier for people to live. I had found a poll on N.K.U’s website asking students whether or not smoking should be banned on campus and there were many responses to this question. “Even as a smoker, a ban would be a good decision.” “Yes, I would like to keep mylungs.” “If you don’t like it, don’t stand next to me.” As you can see there were totally different opinions on the new policy on campus. Many of the students agree with the new rule, but some disagree completely. Some people are basically saying if you don’t like smokers then don’t get near a smoker, it’s as simple as that. Two-thirds of the smoke from a cigarette is noteven inhaled by the smoker. This is a scary fact because there are so many people in the world that smoke and basically 70% of the smoke goes up into theair and is inhaled by other people who are non-smokers. It really is true when they say smoking kills.