In a move that took the breath away from the College’s resident nicotine aficionados, President Hanlon and Executive Vice President Mills announced on Thursday a new campus-wide policy “that will prohibit smoking and the use of tobacco products in all facilities, grounds, vehicles or other areas owned, operated, or occupied by Dartmouth.”
The sweeping reform will not only apply to students and staff but to all those who step foot on College grounds including “consultants, contractors, and other outside visitors.” In their e-mail, Hanlon and Mills also stated that the policy will apply to both indoor and outdoor areas. The policy will take effect on March 18.
Despite the name, Hanlon and Mills failed to clarify that a “tobacco-free” Dartmouth might as well mean a nicotine-free campus. E-cigarette and chewing tobacco users will not be able to flout the ban. The official website for the Nicotine-Free Policy specifies that the ban “prohibits use of any tobacco or nicotine-delivery products,” including smokeless tobacco.
Students living off-campus and Hanover enthusiasts will not be able to escape the choking restrictions either. It will apply to “off-campus housing controlled or managed by the College” and “any public streets or sidewalks within 20 feet of a Dartmouth building.”
The President’s Office justified the decision through the current public health crisis, saying “tobacco use is a risk factor for a variety of life-threatening diseases, including COVID-19.”
“We’d like to provide every opportunity possible for community members to protect themselves,” Hanlon and Mills wrote. Against nicotine, COVID-19, or what diseases, they did not specify.
On social media and through e-mail, students have ripped the decision apart.
“What’s most concerning about President Hanlon’s announcement has nothing to do with the effect of the ban but its underlying principle: that a higher authority has the power to restrict your choices for your own good,” the Dartmouth Libertarians wrote, “The ban inconveniences and punishes existing users who have made a personal decision that the administration disagrees with.”
“Invoking COVID-19 as a motivation for the ban is a flagrant attempt to pander to people’s (reasonable) willingness to comply with any rules having to do with the Coronavirus.”
Community members who would like to express their concerns to the Libertarians can do so here.
Similarly, students commiserated over the anonymous social app Librex. One user even posted a call to action for The Review.
“In 19F, when the College prevented students from watching porn on school WiFi, it was YOU who stood up for students’ rights to watch whatever they desire,” the student wrote, “I humbly ask you to do the same thing again today.”
“Dartmouth Review, you are our only hope.”
In recognition of that responsibility, The Review plans to scrutinize the Administration’s Nicotine Ban in the coming weeks and provide a platform for students to share their perspectives on the policy. Throughout its long history, the College has maintained a tradition of tobacco usage, including the now-defunct ceremony of smoking and smashing Peace Pipes on Class Day. One can learn more about this practice here.
Read The Review‘s statement on the ban here: https://dartreview.com/campus-tobacco-ban-untenable-unjustifiable-un-dartmouth/
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