Tobacco can kill not only the person smoking it but also the people around it. Montclair State University is taking the first steps to becoming a smoke-free campus. This plan sounds like a great idea, but will it do more harm than good for the community? Here are some of the main questions surrounding the new policy.

1. Why the sudden change?

Although I am not a smoker myself, I question how a university plans to be able to change the lifestyles of many of my fellow classmates.

According to the Montclair State University website, our campus "is a smoke-free campus. No smoking is permitted inside any building, including the Student Center and the Annex.”

Yes, that is it, our whole policy. How will Montclair State go from having vague rules about smoking to having a whole plan to become a smoke-free campus? Aren’t we already a smoke-free campus?

2. How long will this plan take?

You cannot get a smoker to stop smoking overnight. It takes time, and the time it takes varies from person to person. Some smokers can quit in a few weeks, others a few years.

According to the Montclair State University website, this is “a $3.6 million, multi-year program intended to accelerate and expand the eventual adoption and implementation of 100 percent smoke-and-tobacco-free campus policies.”

What exactly is a multi-year program? Again this is another broad term. "Multi" can mean anything from two to an infinite amount of years. Why is this not specified in the plans?

3. When will this go into effect?

Again, there is not enough specific information on this plan. The Montclair State University website states that, “with the funding, Montclair State will launch Tobacco Free Red Hawks…”

When is "will"? Will this be taking place in a few years or has it already started? Is this why I keep seeing “No smoking within 500ft of a building” signs everywhere?

4. Why were the students not notified?

Montclair State University has an "all students" e-mail list. This e-mail list is used to relay important messages to the students at the university. The administration uses it to send information about everything that goes on. Why was there not an e-mail sent about this new plan? I found out about this plan when it came up on Facebook. A change this big should be relayed to the entire campus. Everyone should have the right to know about this, especially since it will be affecting a large number of people.

5. Will this help the University monetarily?

Overall, this grant should get the school $3.6 million, which sounds really nice. Until you do the math. An average dorm-dwelling student at Montclair State University pays around $30,000 in tuition per year. At Montclair State about 7,000 students smoke tobacco. Per year, these students bring about $210 million to the school through their tuitions. Is this grant really helping the school monetarily, and does Montclair State really care about their student's health?