By: Crittenden

Crittenden
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 14:30:08 +0000

Are there (really) cultural differences at play for students that smoke? As a past smoker-now quit and someone who has spent time in Asia, I've found a love of nicotine and the pleasant camaraderie shared between smokers to be universal human condition(s). When smoking becomes too costly a burden for a society, then that society will enact rules and regulations to curtail an inherently bad habit. (Raise cigarette taxes, limit access and etc.) What is more distressing than a Chinese student smoking on campus is the reaction his co-students have towards this huge, tragic and threatening behavior. (I'm joking!) A quick sampling of the above comments, which I've copied below, make OSU students out to be over-protected, scared, xenophobic, victimized, petty and churlish. ......That's called bullsh** in my culture. Nice try ......We have tried contacting people about this issue but no one does anything about it. .....Students will go to badly lit, out of the way areas to smoke where they are vulnerable. ......a rule or regulation is just that and must be followed. It's called respect. .....do not know how to follow American rules. ......which is especially not fair to one of them who has asthma .....Seriously? .....you foreigners cause other types of trouble for us Americans, go back to China! I'm happy that Z and Helene left comments. These measured, creative and interesting replies saved the day.