Previously a policy was enacted on campus that banned smoking and tobacco usage within any university building and established a boundary of 25 feet of any building where smoking was prohibited. However, this new policy is seldom enforced, and students are still forced to walk through dense clouds of deadly second-hand smoke to enter and exit academic buildings, residence halls, and other university buildings. Trends in current public health have lead to city-wide indoor smoking bans in major cities such as New York and San Diego, and now many communities are moving to ban smoking outdoors as well. California State University at Fresno is an example of a university which has enacted a campus-wide outdoor and indoor smoking ban, and many public universities and community colleges across the nation are working to follow in the institution's footsteps.

We, the Students of Eastern Michigan University, in order to encourage healthy behaviors, protect the rights of individuals, and follow modern trends in public health and safety, formally request that a ban on smoking and tobacco usage be enacted and enforced which spans the acreage of campus.