SMOKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

2:30 PM November 13, 2012 Washington, D.C. On Thursday, November 15 The George Washington University plans to announce a campus-wide ban on smoking tobacco. Already approved by both the Board of Trustees and the Faculty Senate, the ban will be steamrolled into effect in September 2013. This revolution was not televised. In fact, only 20% of the student body even voted on the legislation, of which two-thirds were supportive. Thus, a policy affecting a broad swath of the student population was ratified with the approval of a mere 13.2%. Backed by such powerful lobbies as Smoke Free DC and the American Cancer Association, the smoking ban has no shortage of well-heeled and vociferous outside interests supporting its success. However, to date, no unified voice of opposition has spoken to contest the policy, or to educate students and staff on its ramifications. The University, for its part, has been ambiguous and unforthcoming regarding consequences to violating the ban, claiming only that they were not ready to comment on specifics. In light of this, our aim is to examine the impact that this ban would have on the lives of the vast number of students, faculty, and workers at GW who smoke, and to call upon our fellow smokers and supporters of freedom at large to join us in forming a strong and cohesive opposition. If the ban were to take effect, students would not be able to smoke- or to socialize with smokers- within 25 feet of any campus building. While 25 feet does not sound very far, consider this: all sidewalks in front of any buildings owned by the University would be off-limits, as well as most courtyards, and of course the benches in front of all buildings. Thus, to legally have a cigarette anywhere on campus, one would have to stand in the middle of the street, and while as smokers we inherently take certain liberties with our health, were not that suicidal.

Therefore, the only reasonable solution would be to leave campus altogether, which presents three serious logistical problems. Our first concern is safety; students, faculty, and workers who smoke would effectively be forced to enjoy their cigarettes in a location distant from where they study and work. During our busy days, this would simply be an inconvenience. However, at night those of us who smoke would have to travel to a potentially dangerous environment outside the jurisdiction of University Police. Considering that many people only smoke on weekend nights, when sufficiently inebriated, this is a recipe for disaster, as it places vulnerable students at risk of robbery, assault, or worse. We believe that for the school to place its students in such obvious danger is an irresponsible abuse of University legislation, as well as a betrayal of GWs own obligation to ensure the safety of the very people who allow this university to exist. A small footnote, beyond the dangers and inconveniences pressed upon the students, faculty, and workers, there is the concern of those who own property surrounding the campus. If smoking is banned on GW property, those who smoke will necessarily be forced to congregate on non-university property. Whether it be office buildings on K Street or residential neighborhoods on 25th, we anticipate that this would not sit well with the people who work and live in those areas. From our humble experience, homeowners certainly arent fond of throngs of smokers hanging around outside of their properties, day-in and day-out. Second, we must consider the impact of the ban on the people who make our school run. The Workers have built (and judging by the incessant construction noise, continue to build) our university into a venerable and beautiful institution. Often arriving before sunrise and staying through the night, their contributions and determination cannot be underestimated. Their hard work entitles them to a simple smoking break; for most, this simple pleasure is their only escape from the day-to-day grind. Under the ban, workers would be required to leave their posts in

order to enjoy a cigarette. Obviously, the time involved in traveling to and from a suitable smoking location would detract from their ability to perform their job. It is clear that the only solution to this would be for the University to completely ban smoking during the Workers shifts. This is a proposal that the Workers would not possibly support. And, as it so happens, nobody asked their opinion. As abhorrent as it is that only 20% of students voted on this piece of legislation, not a single worker was able to voice their opinion on this critical issue. The faculty, on the other hand, was consulted by the Board of Trustees on the ban. However, judging by the smoking habits of many of our finest faculty members, they were not ideally represented. The faculty, who contribute time, energy, and their reputations to the University; who have published and researched countless valuable works to elevate the esteem of GW, deserves more than mere strong-armed subjugation and de jure abjection. Finally, this ban is an utter affront, and negation of our freedom. Smokers, though they may not like it, can understand the ban of smoking indoors, as the smoke remains in an enclosed environment, and those who do not like torched-tobacco cannot avoid it. Nonetheless, to now kick smokers out of outsidethe absurdity here should be noteddestroys the basic freedom of everyone; from the student, to the worker, to the faculty, to the woman walking by, to the man working in a food truck. Furthermore, how can this law be enforced on a person simply walking through campus with a cigarette? If the University decides not to enforce the ban and punish that person, then the law becomes entirely capricious, which is the definition of tyranny. If those who do not like smoke are outside, there are a plentitude of locations to which they can move, such as a couple feet in the other direction to avoid the allegedly offending blue-gray haze. However, this does not mean that we are in favor of something like a smoking zone, as this again cuts into our freedom. To relegate smokers to such a zone would be rank ghettoization, a matter upon which, based on history, we cannot and shall not compromise. We

have a simple aim: let the University hear our voice on the issue, and to kill the ban. We desire nothing more, but certainly, nothing less. They claim health and safety as their cause, but they have already betrayed their charge in the students they claim to protect; putting us in harms way as they lead us like lambs to the slaughter, all the while pretending that their hands are washed clean of any responsibility. They play at Pontius Pilot, while the smoking masses of GW are left to hang, thrice impaled upon the cross of tyranny. This is disgraceful, and calls for outrage and protest. We call upon everyone- from the habitual Hitchensian, to the drunk smoker who eschews cigarettes all week except for that one Friday night, to the non-smoker who supports free expression- to stand with us at the clock Tower Kogan Plaza at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, November 13 to smoke together in solidarity and in protest. Bring your cigarettes, coffee, and revolutionary spirit- but nothing illegal, as that would only delegitimize our collective struggle. This is not about simply having a cigarette, this is about feeling safe to freely express ourselves at our university.

Faithfully yours, Ellis Klein & Christian Geoghegan