Nicholls campus has recently exchanged smoking for alcohol. Though both are dangerous for people who use it and people around them, drinking is clearly the safer habit to condone.

On a college campus where the majority of people are of drinking age, serving alcohol in its center seems like a really good idea.

There are even safety measures in place. The Colonels’ Retreat, where the alcohol is served, IDs all students, doesn’t allow the alcohol to be taken out of the restaurant/bar and only serves alcohol after 11 a.m.

Wait a second…11 a.m.?

Sure, students over 21 already have access to alcohol at this time of the day, but how many have the time to get it?

Students no longer have to worry about wasting gas. They can simply walk into the Student Union and grab a cold one in their 10-15 minute break between classes.

Students have already arrived to classes smelling of beer, which may not be much different than smelling of smoke, but you can be sure a person smelling of cigarettes is not under an influence that will make them forget the stupid things they will decide to do.

It’s not Nicholls’ fault if some students aren’t responsible enough to know their limit and wait until they have no classes left to consume alcohol.

It’s also not Nicholls’ fault that it is mostly a commuter school, and some students are not responsible enough to not drive home under the influence.

In the end, it’s not Nicholls’ fault at all if some students can’t handle their alcohol. Just because they make it available doesn’t mean they are responsible.

But doesn’t it seem ironic that Nicholls got rid of smoking only to replace it with alcohol? Which is the more dangerous substance? Are we really more worried about the litter of cigarette butts and spit stains?

If you’re going to allow students to own up to the responsibility of knowing how much and when to drink on campus, then you need to allow students to own up to their smoking habits.

Just like drinking is contained to the Colonels’ Retreat, smoking can be contained to certain areas. This would cost Nicholls almost nothing, despite what administrators have said in the past. Putting up a rope or a fence around a few trees or a “Smoking Section” sign in an area of the courtyard is something students would gladly fund, since it would cost a few hundred dollars at most, less than a dollar from every student.