There is a culture war going on in USyd. Our proud claim that we are a “smoke-free campus” is controversial to many students, and they are taking to social media to openly flout the rules in embarrassing displays that glamorize a harmful hobby.
I came to USyd thinking that no smoking was a great idea. Growing up in the 2000s, it seemed like anti-smoking ads were everywhere. Deliberately unpleasant images of wrinkly, sickly old people crooning words of warning scared me into submission. For me, not smoking has always seemed like a no-brainer, but it seems many of my peers don’t share the same concerns.
Throughout my life I always assumed there would be a general trend to quit smoking. Unfortunately, the miracle of capitalist dynamism has shattered my expectations. The introduction of e-cigarettes to the market, and the branding of them as a “healthier alternative” by the same brains behind big tobacco, has seen a general upward trend in smoking.
It’s obvious why. Cigarettes stink! The entire packaging is covered in grotesque depictions of gangrene and cancer! But the vapors? Cute, trendy, pastel! They smell and taste like delicious sugar! They are by no means as harmful as stink bugs! Aside from the fact that vaping seems kind of dumb and silly (even though smoking is obviously cool as hell), it seems like the best alternative to cigarettes.
What a mess!
For the average teenager, starting to vape seems like all the social benefits of nicotine use, with none of the nasty lung we saw on TV commercials. How wrong they are! There is almost no evidence that vaping is better than smoking; it still affects you negatively, just in different ways. It’s also true that vaping is the gateway drug of our time, with an ANU study finding that those who try vaping are three times more likely to smoke later. It’s no surprise, then, that in 2020 cigarette sales will increase for the first time in decades.
At the forefront of the anti-smoking insurgency is the Instagram account ‘@smokersofusyd’. This is a page dedicated to trivializing the smoke-free campus rule. So far, only four photos have been uploaded to the account, but each has been supported by members of the student body, who are calling for a more smoke-friendly campus. I’ve previously been very vocal in their comments section about how much I disagree with their ethos, but it seems like I’m shouting into the void. I sat down with “Smokers of USyd” [a pseudonym] to crush the beef.
Hello smokers. can i call you smokers
USyd Smokers: I guess that’s fine.
Great. Are you a USyd smoker yourself?
Smokers: I think everyone is a smoker. Smoking is not simply about smoking cigarettes or smoking vapes. Being a smoker is being human. So yes!
Whatever. What are you trying to demonstrate through the page?
Smokers: I believe that some US campus policies are detrimental to the well-being of campus smokers. USyd’s “smoke-free campus” policy pushes smokers into the gutters of society and paints them as grotesque outcasts, which we are not. Believe it or not, smoking can be addictive and as such, smokers cannot be blamed for the increase in smog on campus. We need collective action to pull the oppressed class of smokers out of the gutter and make USyd a smoker-friendly campus again. Our current smoking areas can barely be labeled as glorified sandpits and must eventually be torn down as society works to integrate smoking into all areas of campus, including indoor spaces.
Where do you see Smokers of USyd in the future?
Smokers: I hope that one day all students can learn the pleasures of the simple and social pastime of smoking. Although the current page is vaper friendly, I would like to use this piece as a platform to send a message of health to anyone who vape. Please, vapers, there is an organic, plant-based alternative you should be switching to: cigarettes!
Do you think your page promotes harmful behavior?
Smokers: The only thing promoting the page is the inclusion of the smoking class. Far from promoting harmful behaviour, the page is a beacon of hope and a guiding star for smokers who may feel excluded from social settings because they are forced to smoke cigarettes outdoors or in the crevices of pubs. I am here to encourage the population of USyd to participate in this relaxing hobby knowing that you are welcome and that you are a human being.
Did you know that in Australia alone, approximately 90% of lung cancer cases in men and 65% in women are estimated to be the result of smoking?
Smokers: When?
when? This is happening right now!
Smokers: When did I ask?
This is really inappropriate. Can you seriously answer the question?
Smokers: OK.
Thus ended our interview. We walked together to City Road before parting ways. I stood watching them walk away, reflecting on our conversation and what I could have done differently; kicking myself for no more impact. Before long, they mysteriously disappeared behind a cloud of exhaust fumes from a passing bus. It was a fitting conclusion to a heartily disappointing talk.
I cannot pretend to understand the feeling behind the page. The rules are clear: smoking is not allowed on campus. Not all laws are fair, but this one is. Our young minds deserve clean air! The campus should be a safe space for people with sensitive lungs and for those of us who have made the sensible decision not to smoke. @smokersofusyd does nothing but promote an unhealthy lifestyle. They are a blight on our beautiful campus. The pro-smoking propaganda they put out is disgusting and only inflames my anti-smoking feelings. I hope more people will join my crusade.
Students should enrich their minds, not engage in harmful pastimes. Please continue to smoke off campus.