I was a 19-year-old sophomore at a small university in Iran, and had never smoked in my life. Even though my brother was a always a heavy smoker, he never taught me how to properly smoke a cigarette. 

One night, I was spending time with some friends at my house and all of them were smoking. I was peer-pressured, and then agreed to inhaling the first cigarette of my life. From that day on, I was a smoker. 

I was tentative when our university first announced its new smoke-free campus policy, and I vividly remember the day I started noticing smoke-free signs all over our campus. I was a still a smoker, but did not have the reaction you might expect. 

My first reaction to this change around me, surprising as it may be, was gratitude and appreciation.  

In the next 10 minutes, I started thinking about my own history with smoking and tobacco, and why I was feeling gratitude for having lost a choice. 

Losing the freedom to light up a cigarette whenever I wanted felt freeing. I realized this new smoke free policy was offering me a chance for personal growth. 

I have attempted to quit smoking before, but had constant ups and downs in my determination and willpower. There were times that I simply could not help my smoking, and there were days that I was trying hard to stay on top of my recent decision to quit.

I have learned that smokers’ destructive behaviors are mostly instigated by peer pressure, particular moods and conditioned habits. 

The draws of smoking in tempting situations eventually becomes just too strong to resist. Even though I knew this, I used to fail to remove myself from these situations or and did not even try to stay mindful while in them.

Thanks to the new smoke-free campus policy, I encounter fewer situations where I am tempted to smoke cigarettes. 

Now, every time I am entrapped in situations that make me prone to smoking, I have another reason to make me skip a beat before lighting up a cigarette. This has definitely made it easier for me to stay conscious about my choices concerning cigarettes.

I am not certain whether the students and university authorities behind the new policy intended the new policy to be more liberating than restricting. 

However, judging by the inclusion of smoking cessation programs and the language used in the smoke-free campus policy, even a former smoker like myself can see that the new policy is here to fully support the Bulldog family.