Tobacco ban helps UK, state’s health for future

On a campus constantly rife with disagreement — usually between the UK administration and the students who attend classes here — the 800 pound gorilla on this campus is about ready to be uncaged.
After months of preparation and anticipation, Thursday will be the day UK leaves tobacco behind.
Since the ban went public, smokers have made their frustrations clear as the rules have gradually changed.
In the not so distant past, smoking was a deeply entrenched part of the campus culture. Forget smoking outside — people were allowed to smoke inside within the past decade. Much of the art department calls the Reynolds building, named after tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds from when the building was a tobacco warehouse, home, and many of the lofts near campus boast the same past.
But with the ban, UK is no longer looking to the past, but to the future.
In four or five years, only a relatively small number will remember what it was like to use tobacco on this campus. In that time, this year’s freshman class, the last one to see tobacco use at UK, will be on the way out. The fresh faces that will come after them will never know what they missed.Nor will they care.
UK is responsible for the greater community. As the state’s flagship unversity with so many resources and such a far-reaching influence, it must be a leader in the tobacco-free movement.
The university and the state have obvious deep ties to the controversial crop. Historically, Kentucky has been one of the most important tobacco states in the nation. Even now, the effects of tobacco are visible from UK continuing to benefit from a cigarette tax to many tobacco farmers still making a living from tobacco.
Yet, UK’s responsibility extends beyond providing people a place to smoke and promoting a habit for the sake of economics and history. UK now has to be creative and find ways to ensure the economically viable ways to use tobacco.
While the ban may take away from one aspect of tobacco consumption, UK can be a leader in alternative ways to using the crop, such as textiles, cosmetics and even medicine.
Additionally, UK must show its commitment to the health aspect of the ban. Devoting its resources to help quit tobacco and making those resources more accessible to students, faculty and staff will be necessary.
With any measure of this magnitude, there will be initial backlash. As forward thinking as this historic ban is, it is clear that compliance will not happen overnight — but the objective is a longterm solution that will help cure Kentucky of one of its worst ills.
Yes, the input of students, faculty and staff is something that needs to be crusaded for everyday on this campus. But 20 years down the road, we’ll all look at this decision and realize its benefits.
Sure, there will probably be disregard and backlash in the weeks following the ban. And students exercising a right to protest isn’t something to frown upon.
The implementation hasn’t always been correct, but the solution is.
Going tobacco-free is possibly the best decision UK has made all year.