Remember August 15th as the first of days where personal space is no longer personal. For example, the inside of our car is one of the best personal spaces that we all have. Sometimes it is the only place where we can be alone with our thoughts, where we can rock out with our tunes and where we can smoke or vape our troubles away. When it comes to the use of tobacco products though, the inside of your car is no longer your own personal space if you happen to be driving on the Michigan State University (MSU) at East Lansing campus.
August 15th happens to be the first day that MSU will ban smoking and vaping everywhere on campus, including the inside of your car if it is on the premises. If you think this is strictly a campus action, consider this: MSU is the equivalent of a local jurisdiction under the Michigan Vehicle Code, except for shared city streets and county roads. Will other local jurisdictions soon follow suit?
MSU has one of the largest campuses in the nation at 5200 acres. MSU officials claim they only want to promote the healthiest environment possible, adding that “all tobacco products pose health risks.” If you want to stay within the law, you either have to quit smoking altogether or wait until you are off campus and do the deed.
Where does this end?
The rock band Pink Floyd summed this feeling of loss of control and overt social engineering quite well in their album THE WALL with their famous lyrics, “We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control!” We all need a personal space to do what we want without interference – as long as no one is being harmed – whether that is in our homes or our cars. Let’s don’t become just “Another Brick in the Wall”!