Smoking should be allowed on campus, but restricted to designated outdoor areas. Fordham University should not permit students or staff to smoke indoors or near the entrances of buildings, but they should provide convenient, safe outdoor spaces where smoking is allowed. A balanced approach would respect non-smokers’ health while ensuring fairness and safety for those who choose to smoke on campus.
Fordham currently regulates smoking on both of its campuses. The official policy of the student handbook states that inside smoking is not permitted, and “smoking is not permitted within fifty feet of the entrances or exits of any university-owned or leased on-campus and off-campus buildings and facilities.” Many people, however, frequently violate and ignore these rules, smoking closer to buildings anyway, suggesting the current policy is unrealistic and difficult to enforce.
Requiring smokers to move 50 feet away from any building entrance in New York City creates safety concerns, especially late at night. Students and staff shouldn’t have to move to poorly-lit or isolated areas just to smoke. Establishing designated smoking areas located in safe well-lit parts of campus would reduce these safety concerns while still keeping smokers away from building entrances and high-traffic areas.
“I get harassed most of the time when I go off campus, especially at night,” said Sunshine Frankenstein, FCRH ’27. “When I’m with larger groups of people that are smoking, people that are up to no good are out, and they are looking to target people under the influence or simply distracted.”
Other students share this sentiment. Graham T. Strolin FCRH ’29 added, “We should have designated smoking areas because we have students that are over 21 and professors who are gonna smoke either way.” He added that smoking outside is fine “as long as they’re doing it out of the way of entrances and being respectful about it.” Thus, since smoking will happen regardless of policy, the university should create a structure that encourages safety and respect rather than simply brushing over the issue.
Other universities in New York City, including Columbia University and Manhattan University, already have designated smoking areas written into their policies. Fordham can follow their lead, making designated areas that encourage responsible behavior since people are more likely to follow clear, reasonable rules than total restrictions.
These areas could also serve as opportunities for education. Fordham could post helpful materials about the risks of smoking and offer resources for quitting, transforming the policy into a harm-reduction approach, rather than banning smoking entirely.
Additionally, designated areas would also keep Fordham’s campuses cleaner. According to Clean Virginia Waterways, cigarette butts are the world’s most common form of litter, and “the use of these designated smoking areas are promoted for public health reasons (secondhand smoke) and fire prevention, as well as a litter-control mechanism.” Fordham could reduce cigarette waste on campus by guiding smokers to specific spots that have ashtrays and trash cans — addressing one problem (littering) by responsibly managing another (smoking).
Allowing smoking only in designated outdoor areas would make Fordham safer, cleaner and more respectful for everyone. The university should adopt a practical, fair policy that reflects both students’ needs and the community’s well-being.
Audrey Bolds, FCRH ’27, is a journalism major from Houston, Texas.
