<p>I'm currently looking (online) at colleges, and 2 that I have in mind (UNC Chapel Hill and Emory University) are in the SE. Someone brought up to me earlier that there is a lot of smoking down south and there aren't as many bans on it as there are in the north, where I'm from. I'm pretty severely allergic to tobacco, and therefore cigarette smoke is something that I need to stay as far away from as I can. Is there a lot of smoking at colleges down south, particularly these two? Thank you!</p>
<p>The last time I was at UNC, a few years ago, it was a smoke free campus. Also, there is no smoking inside restaurants and bars, and whatnot. People are so funny about the south. I think you’ve all been watching too much television and picking up on hollywood stereotypes. You want to see a lot of smoking? Go to europe. Get some culture.</p>
<p>My family is from Europe/the Middle East, so I do know what its like there in terms of smoking. As much as I love (most of) European culture, the smoking there causes me to suffer immensely. I refuse to be sick during college when I can go to a smoke-free school and save myself the hassle. Thanks for the info on UNC!</p>
<p>Emory is a tobacco free campus. Here’s a list of tobacco free campuses: <a href=“http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf[/url]”>http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf</a></p>
<p>Even if it’s not on that list, I would assume that most universities at the quality you’re looking at are fairly smoke free. In fact, unless you’re severely allergic I wouldn’t think any colleges should be that bad. The worst option I can think of it McGill, since it seems to have a more “European” attitude towards smoking. But, yea, I can’t imagine it being a problem.</p>
<p>This summer I toured UNC and one thing I did notice was that there was a group of about 7 students on the quad sitting together, smoking. Maybe they aren’t allowed to do this during the school year, but even during the summer I thought it was weird for such a good school.</p>
<p>I live in North Carolina, a tobacco-producing state. Interestingly, some of the most pervasive smoking I’ve ever been around was on the streets of New York. It seemed that every other person in Manhattan smoked, and in crowds their cigarettes often ended up right in front of my face. Maybe because they can’t smoke outside they light up on the streets? (I was last there three years ago, so perhaps there are new laws, but it was terrible.) </p>
<p>Yes, it is unusual to see so many people smoking at UNC or on almost any NC campus. A notable exception is Warren Wilson, a small, very hippie/liberal/alternative college near Asheville, which has a fairly high percentage of smokers.</p>
<p>I think you are playing into stereotypes more than anything else. the research triangle in north carolina is one of the most cutting edge areas in the world! it is true that they grew tobacco in the area at one time, but this is not 1899 it is 2012! the old tobacco plants are now converted into restaurants and lofts and other cool stuff! there is no more smoking in the area then in soho or the village in nyc! I would recommend going to unc and or duke and see for yourself!
emory, I have been to the school, it was not a favorite of mine, unc and duke I liked a lot! (smoking aside)</p>
<p>All public universities in NC have had to set no-smoking zones surrounding buildings because of a systemwide policy. These range from 25 feet from buildings at East Carolina University, to a high of 100 feet at UNC. The 100 feet zone effectively makes it a smoke free campus except for a few very open areas. Also, due to state law, there is no indoor smoking at any college dorms or residence facilities anywhere in NC, public or private.</p>
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Because the ban on smoking near buildings effectively eliminates smoking over the vast majority of UNC’s campus, nearly all of the smokers huddle together at the flagpole in front of Wilson.</p>
<p>A nonsmoker or even someone who despises the smell of cigarette smoke would be fine at Duke or UNC.</p>
<p>In much of the US, restaurants and bars are now completely non-smoking. However, during our trip through the Carolinas and Georgia in 2010 a number of the restaurants that we stopped at did have smoking areas. Those dining areas were set off from the other parts of the restaurant, but might not be far enough away for someone who is very sensitive to smoke. This would be something that you would want to be careful about when dining off campus.</p>
<p>Emory is smoke free as many schools are. </p>
<p>I hope you are also considering U Miami and UVa- I think a better fit for you then UNC.</p>
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<p>The indoor smoking ban in NC came into effect January 1st, 2010. But actual implementation was a bit slow as restaurants figured out how to set up outdoor smoking areas (50 feet away from entrances, I think) and certain clubs and “cigar bars” exempted themselves.</p>
<p>As a prior poster said, if you’re allergic to tobacco smoke don’t go anywhere near NYC. The amount of smoke is unbelievable.</p>
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<p>Maybe because 10 of the 13 states that still allow smoking in restaurants, bars, and workplaces (all 3 categories) are in the South? And because no state in the South has banned smoking in all 3 categories of places, while 27 of 36 (75% of) non-Southern states have banned smoking in all 3 (including all the most populous non-Southern states except Pennsylvania, which still allows smoking in bars)?</p>
<p>Or maybe because smoking in bars and restaurants is banned by state law or local ordinance in all but 16 of the 60 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States–and 12 of the 16 where it’s still allowed are in the South?</p>
<p>Seriously, I avoid traveling in the South if at all possible because I have a terrible allergic reaction to cigarette smoke, and it hits me anytime I go into a restaurant south of the Ohio River. Don’t know if this is still the case, but I refuse to fly through Cincinnati, a Delta hub, because the Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky and the last time I was there (a few years ago, concededly) they still allowed smoking in the airport.</p>
<p>To its credit, North Carolina does prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants–the only Southern state to do so. But it still allows smoking in non-hospitality workplaces. So I guess the message is, if you don’t like tobacco smoke North Carolina may be a fine place to visit or to go to college; just don’t plan to work there (unless you plan to be a chef, waiter, or bartender) or to visit surrounding states.</p>
<p>I agree, though, with the earlier poster who said that outdoor smoking in Northern cities can be just as offensive, especially in dense cities like New York where you really can’t get away from it. Yes, and Europe is bad, too.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the replies! I really wasn’t trying to offend anyone with this question (since a few people responded that I was being too stereotypical). To those who have said that NYC is bad with smoking, I completely agree- I have a hard time around Manhattan/Times Square, but outside of that densely populated area I’ve had luck in finding very few smokers. I’ve visited Barnard/Columbia in the past (during and outside of the school year) and I did not see one smoker around the area, which was really nice (Barnard is another one of my top picks… along with UVA as suggested by crazed).</p>