I’ve never smoked a cigarette. The closest I’ve gotten to actually smoking any tobacco product was holding an uncut cigar between my teeth just to see what it felt like. I felt nothing, except a similarity to Groucho Marx (minus the sweet ‘stache and glasses).

I don’t know anyone who smokes regularly. I have a few friends who after a few drinks might bum a cigarette off the nearest smoker, but other than that, my life is pretty tobacco free. That is, until I walk across the campus.

Nothing ruins a beautiful walk across our brochure-producing landscape quite like inhaling a few breathes of unfiltered toxins. Unfortunately, this happens quite frequently. A lot of people smoke at this university. There’s the hipster smoker, who won’t touch non-vegan food with a 10-foot pole but will quickly step out of the Maryland Food Co-op for a smoke break. Then — and yes, this does exist — there’s the “healthy smoker,” who will polish off a cigarette before heading into the Eppley Recreation Center. And good luck getting to Testudo’s nose in front of McKeldin Library without being masked in tobacco smoke, especially during finals.

Last year, a University Senate bill that would ban smoking on the campus was rejected, much to the dismay of everyone who cares about their beautiful, pink lungs. The bill would have made it an offense for anyone to smoke on the campus; if caught, they would be slapped with a hefty fine. Health officials, especially in the public health school, keep rallying to bring the ban back up, but so far, no dice. Our neighbors over at Towson University became one of the closest schools to the Washington area to institute a smoke-free campus, and other campuses around the country are starting to follow suit.

I value people’s right to slowly harm their bodies while spending copious amounts of money, but I don’t understand smoking. I realize that it’s addicting, but I don’t understand why one takes it up in the first place. It’s an extremely expensive habit, and prices are only going up. Guys, we’re in college! Between tuition, rent, textbooks, food and booze, how can anyone afford cigarettes?

Don’t bother flicking your still lit cigarette butts at me telling me to just avoid smokers — they are unavoidable. If you are within 10 feet of someone connecting a lighter to a cigarette, you are going to get that gust of secondhand smoke. When smokers leave their dorms or apartments for a smoke break, they blatantly ignore the microscopic sign asking them not to smoke within 15 feet of the building, and the smoke drifts into the vents and air ducts, permeating the building. It’s the same thing in front of academic buildings (especially the Art-Sociology Building and Tawes Hall — damn you, hipsters!).

This university advertises itself as an eco-friendly and ever-improving health-conscious institution. Banning smoking on the campus would be another crucial step in maintaining this identity. Imagine a campus free of secondhand smoke, which is in some ways more harmful than smoking the actual cigarette. Imagine a campus free of nasty little cigarette butts. It looks good, doesn’t it?

Ellen Linzer is a senior English major. She can be reached at linzer at umdbk dot com.