Wednesday, October 12, 2011

LET’S TALK ‘SMOKING’

BY ELIZABETH MURIITHI

George D. Prentice once said, “Much smoking kills live men and cures dead swine.”

During my 1st year of study, as is the norm around this place, my fellow freshas and I attended a Drugs Sensitisation meeting where we were reliably informed on the adverse effects of smoking. However, one thing that still rings in my ears to date from that meeting, was the announcement that smoking in public within the campus premises was highly prohibited. Therefore, the sight of comrades engaging in a puff publicly, except during kadundas (Friday night dances) was quite an oddity.

Much to Mother Nature’s dismay, this is no longer the case. Puffs of white smoke from the nostrils of various comrades can be seen making their way through the air from various sections of the campus, especially at the Student’s Centre as early as from 8:00 am. Not to mention the bhang and tobacco odour that lingers on, miles away from the smoking joints. Moreover, it has been reported that bhang fumes are nowadays occasionally smelt in various hostels, such as Hostel L and even Hostel J; a ladies’ hostel.

So where does all this leave the non-smokers and the asthmatic students? Where do they run to so as to find solace from the pangs of humiliation from the smokers? Should they just accept their new found status as passive smokers or should they fight for their own rights as non-smokers since no one has flinched a muscle to voice their voiceless souls?

Speaking to The 3rd Eye via her face book account, Muso Health Director, Patricia Tuwei stated that she was aware that the number of students smoking in public was increasing by the day, thus putting the health of the other students at risk. When asked what action she had taken so far as the Health Director in order to contain the situation, she stated that she had been planning to post memos on the notice boards so as to warn the students smoking in public to desist from doing so. However, she did not give a definite date as to when the memos would be out and she could not give a concrete reason as to why it had taken so long for any action to be taken, bearing in mind that the situation is randomly aggravating by the day.

Whether these memos will actually be posted on various notice boards around campus and if at all they will be effective enough in ensuring that students no longer smoke in public are issues that can only be left to be seen. Taking a sigh of relief at this point seems more of a mirage for most non-smokers.

What’s more is that establishing smoking zones doesn’t seem to feature anywhere in the Director’s plan of action.

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