“That’s nice,” she said as she took a drag from her Juul.
Instead she vapes, even though she knows it isn’t good for her body.
“Sometimes when I’m like I wanna have fun it’s just like a good, I don’t know a good head buzz,” she explained. “But I know I’m like hurting myself or like killing my body.”
Vape products aren’t regulated the same way as cigarettes at Indiana State University.
While cigarette smokers have to stay in designated smoking areas or smoke shacks, those who vape do so all across campus.
“We do see use within academic buildings, the commons things like that,” said Katie Lugar, Adviser for the student lead organization Tobacco Free Blue.
Tobacco Free Blue has proposed a tobacco free campus policy which would impact tobacco users across the board.
That means no cigarettes, no vape and no chewing tobacco would be allowed on the campus, however it may be kept in a student’s car.
“The proposal for the policy would basically remove the designated smoking areas or re-purpose them in some way,” explained Lugar.
The policy would also provide resources for those who wish to quit using tobacco products.
According to a 2018 survey by the university’s Student Government Association, 80% of students said they did not use tobacco products at that time.
55% said they support a complete ban on tobacco products at ISU.
“Also if we go smoke free here on campus it also encourages students to break away from unhealthy habits,” said graduate student Garrett Hurley.
Hurley completed his undergrad at a smoke free campus in Oregon, he said he couldn’t believe the difference between Oregon State University and ISU.
“It was a little jarring to see that people were actively doing it,” he explained. “And then vape culture is a thing.”
Joiner doesn’t believe a ban on tobacco products will work at ISU.
“I don’t think they should. Like it’s gonna happen regardless,” she said. “If anything it’s just gonna cause like trouble.”
The policy still needs to be reviewed by the university’s Faculty Senate, Staff Council and SGA.
Input from those groups is due to President Deborah Curtis by November 1.
Tobacco Free Blue hopes the ban will become policy and improve the overall health of students and quality of campus.
“We wanna make sure that we’re doing what we can for people all across the board on campus who either do use tobacco products, don’t use tobacco products, or are looking to quit using tobacco products,” said Lugar.
