"Studies of college students reveal that their smoking is strongly associated with alcohol use and attending social events." Rarely do you see smokers smoking alone. Through my observations, I came to find that the smoking circle outside of Mills Residence Hall is no exception. On an average evening, music, laughter, and the low rumble of voices can be heard when nearing Mills. The "UNC-Asheville Designated Smoking Area" serves primarily as a social hot spot, with the occasional smoker.
The majority of people that are in the smoking circle at any given point are not smoking. “A qualitative study found that many college students describe themselves as ‘social smokers,’ by which they mean that their tobacco use is more like a social activity or a component of their social activities rather than a regular behavior characterized by nicotine dependence.” In this image, there is one person smoking. Four others are seated and watching one student dance. Another two students are working on course work. They are all in the designated smoking area and, yet, only one of them is using the space for its intended purpose. The lack of restriction on smoking allows the idea of no restrictions at all to surround the space. The environment created here by the students is one that encourages free expression, similar to the University’s values. Because free expression is encourage, smokers and non-smokers alike feel comfortable and utilize the space.
As Beth Orton said, “The upside to smoking is that you get to be social.” The smoking circle outside of Mills is designed to invite social interaction. Instead of several tables or benches, there is only one long semi-circle bench. Although students could spread out with ample room between them, oftentimes they are seated close together, which allows for intimate conversation. There is shrubbery all around the circle. This gives the illusion that this is a semi-private space, though anyone walking in and out of Mills or Highsmith can view the area with ease. The sense that it is a private place to chat intimately allows many students to feel welcome. Students that may be traveling to a destination alone may feel comfortable enough to stop and join a conversation or even just join the circle period without apprehension.
Because the space is viewed as a secluded area, conversation topics are not restricted. Friends are easily made and large groups of students conversing are common. All types of students may be found in the smoker’s circle; smokers and non-smokers, art majors and math majors, females and males, and freshmen and seniors have utilized this space. Non-smokers may hang out here because their friends smoke. This also may help change the negative view non-smokers have on tobacco users. In this designated smoking area, smokers are seen as not a separate group, but as part of a whole. They are friends, classmates, roommates, talented musicians, and partners. This space is seen not as a separate, distinct place for tobacco users, but as a communal gathering place.
In this image, the space is repurposed into an eating area, a stage, and a gathering spot. At nine in the evening, there is a young man taking a break to eat his sandwich. There are two gentlemen playing instruments. The notes coming from the guitar and banjo are carried beyond this circle, inviting people to come to the area and listen. Music is often played here, whether it is acoustic or electric guitars, a harmonica, or dub step beats. In this image, you can only see one person smoking. The others seem to be gathered around, chatting and listening to the live music. The space created allows for decompression. Some students may come outside to take a break from their school work, or as a reward for finishing all of it.
Everyone that enters Mills may be tempted to join the circle, either to socialize with friends or the smoke. People that may not have been heavy smokers before may have increased the frequency of this habit, due to the space’s location and open atmosphere. The proximity to the smoking circle of Highsmith Union and Mills makes one wonder why people hang out in the circle and not in either of these buildings. Highsmith Union is the student center, with eating areas, a game room, and ample indoor seating. Mills residence hall has lounges, in and outside of individual rooms, and many of the students in the smoking circle live there. The space is simply inviting. It serves multiple purposes and is open to all students.
The atmosphere of the smoking circle changes throughout the day. In the early morning hours, very few people, if any, are present. Around mid-morning, the time of day the picture on the right was taken, the space is quickly filled. During midday, many students eat their lunch here. Students stop here on the way to and from class, either to speak to people already in the circle, or to join to circle for a smoke. The afternoon sees the same thing, and the circle seems to come alive with voices and music in the evening. There are oftentimes people outside in the smoking area until the early morning hours. There is a feeling of security at any time of day because the space is on campus and so close to two main buildings on campus. There is also a sense of comfort in the circle, both given by the location and by the people present. This aura of comfort and security provides a “safe” place for everyone to enjoy.
Perhaps the habit of social smoking is tied to the fact that UNC-Asheville is a liberal arts school. “Social smoking was significantly more common among smokers who spent more time socializing with friends, were binge drinkers, and valued participation in the arts.” Perhaps the already open atmosphere of the school allows students here to feel equal. All types of people join the smoking circle, and oftentimes introductions are made and new friendships are formed.
