All GW students smoke, either directly by puffing on a Newport or indirectly by being forced to walk through a cloud of second-hand smoke. Why can’t I – a tuition-paying, law-abiding GW student – sit outside and enjoy fresh air? Inevitably, I become surrounded by cigarette smoke! I have asthma, and I am allergic to smoke.

Smokers seem to be attracted to me. They never get the hint that I don’t want them to sit near me. I choose not to smoke because I care about how I live and when I die. It is a disgusting habit. It is a shame that visitors to the library, Thurston Hall and Kogan Plaza have to be bombarded by toxic smoke!

GW should make these and other areas smoke-free. This would deter people from lighting up as frequently and may even help some people quit. It would also help the campus look nicer with fewer butts scattered on the ground. It is one thing for smokers not to care about their own health, but littering is just stupid, especially when you are sitting next to a big, blue, hard-to-miss trash can. Show a little more respect for our campus. And if you light up, please stand as far away from me as possible. You will know me by the choking sounds I am making as you puff smoke in my direction.

-Alicia Tridersophomore