New York City Universities Ban Smoking On Campuses

CUNY students will have to get their nicotine fix off campus. The City University of New York board of trustees voted earlier this week to ban smoking on all 23 of its campuses, including outdoor parking lots, playing fields and building entrances. Indoor smoking was prohibited on campus in 1995.

Monday's decision also prohibited tobacco companies from advertising on campus and sponsoring school events.

“All the evidence shows that any exposure to smoke has adverse biological consequences," said Nicholas Freudenberg, professor at the School of Public Health at Hunter College.

“It really just seemed to me that this was the right thing to do," said CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein.

Some students said CUNY should designate outdoor smoking areas.

“It's something that I choose and that I shouldn't be punished for," said student smoker Chris Engdahl.

However, some smokers are inconsiderate and don't care if their smoke blows in the wind thus contaminating the lungs of people who aren't interested in sucking on rat poison and formaldehyde so that's where it gets tricky.

But anyway, the new policy takes place in September.

Where do you stand on this issue? Would this affect your decision to attend a CUNY school? [NY Daily News]