I thought I would share another post showing how different school was for my family compared to the schools the kids go to today. Back when dinosaurs roamed the face of Earth as Charlie likes to say.
When I think back to going to Haltom High School, there are some things I remember clearly. And then there are the things I remember hearing about that, all these years later, still make me stop and wonder.
One of those things was the smoking area at school. Now, before you start laughing, let me explain. I remember hearing about a smoking area at Haltom High School, but I honestly don’t remember ever being in it. I don’t even remember seeing it.
I’m sure I would have walked by it on my way to class or at least I would have thought I did but who know. Knowing about the smoking area really does make me wonder if smoking areas were something that existed when my parents were teenagers, too.
Both of my parents smoked. And my mom’s mom Dorie. So I’ve found myself wondering: Did my parents smoke when they were teenagers? Did they have a smoking area at their school?
Did students really stand outside with their friends and smoke between classes? Like we see in a lot of movies. Did teachers smoke, too? Do you know the answers to these questions? Or did you have a designated smoking spot in your school?
Those are questions I will probably never know the answers to because both of my parents have passed away. And that’s one of the things about getting older that nobody really tells you. There are suddenly so many questions you wish you had thought to ask.
As strange as it sounds to many people today, designated smoking areas at schools really did exist. There wasn’t one nationwide rule that said every school had to have a smoking area for a specific number of years. Instead, schools and school districts changed their policies over time.
By the 1980s, schools were increasingly putting written smoking policies in place. In a 1988 CDC survey, 95% of responding school districts reported having a written policy regarding tobacco use, but only 17% had completely banned smoking on school premises and at school functions.
That means there was a period of transition. Some schools had already banned student smoking. Some had designated smoking areas. Some restricted smoking to certain places or certain people. And some were still figuring out what their policies should look like.
By the early 1990s, the movement toward completely smoke-free schools was growing. The federal Pro-Children Act of 1994 prohibited smoking inside facilities used for routine K–12 education in schools covered by the law.
Texas also enacted school tobacco restrictions in 1995, and those rules were later expanded to specifically address e-cigarettes. So that little smoking area that sounds so unbelievable today really was part of a different time.
Now here’s where I’m going to be completely honest. Like just about every kid growing up in my generation, I did try smoking. I’m not going to sit here and rewrite history and tell you I never did.
But cigarettes? They were probably one of the grossest things I ever tried. I couldn’t understand what anybody liked about them. And I certainly don’t look back and think, Boy, I wish I had stuck with that. Quite the opposite. I’m grateful I didn’t.
Or boy was I cool because I smoked I wasn’t I was dumb and I was messing with my health. And today, I’m especially grateful when Charlie tells me he’s never going to smoke or drink. I pray he keeps those choices.
Because my feelings about smoking aren’t just about remembering something from school. My mom passed away from lung cancer and emphysema. Watching someone you love suffer changes the way you look at things.
So no, this post isn’t about saying smoking was okay because it was something people did when we were growing up. It wasn’t. I don’t condone smoking. I didn’t then, and I certainly don’t now. And I don’t condone vaping or e-cigarettes, either. I don’t believe smoking or vaping belongs in schools. I also don’t believe anyone should use Snuff but back in the day David did and my brother still does.
We Can Remember Something Without Wanting It Back That’s something I’ve learned about doing this series. We can remember something without saying it was right. We can laugh about how strange something sounds today without wanting to bring it back.
We can tell the stories of the way things used to be while recognizing that we know more now than people did then. And sometimes looking back reminds us just how much the world has changed.
When I was growing up, cigarettes were treated very differently. Today, we’re also talking about vaping and e-cigarettes. But to me, the message is simple: I don’t want my children smoking. I don’t want them vaping. And I don’t think either one belongs in school.
And when Charlie tells me he doesn’t plan to smoke or drink, I am grateful. I pray he keeps those choices for the rest of his life. I honestly believe if Suzzane was here she wouldn’t have smoked either because she also didn’t think my mom or my Uncles should but to them it was second nature because of the times they grew up in.
Sometimes looking back at our childhood means remembering things we laugh about. Sometimes it means remembering things we wish had been different. And sometimes it means being thankful that our children have the opportunity to make different choices.
Now It’s Your Turn This is where I need your help. Did your school have a smoking area in your school? Was it outside? Was it behind the school? Was there a designated smoking section?
Were students actually allowed to use it, or was it only for teachers and adults? And when did your school finally get rid of it? I want to hear your stories. this way Charlie will see others had this as well and it wasn’t just my school.
Maybe someone reading this remembers Haltom High School better than I do. Maybe someone remembers exactly where the smoking area was. Maybe someone went to school with my parents. And maybe someone can answer a question I’ve had for years:
Did our parents really smoke at school, too? I will never get to ask my parents. But I can ask you. And that’s what I love about Back to School: The Way We Remember It. If I forget something you can chime in.
We’re not just remembering what happened in our own school days. We’re comparing memories. We’re filling in the blanks. We’re telling the stories our parents told us. And sometimes we’re discovering that the things we thought sounded completely unbelievable… really did happen.
So yes. We really did have smoking areas at schools. And no, I don’t miss them. I just wish I could ask my parents if they remember them. Thank you for reading Back to School: The Way We Remember It Post 4 and sharing your memories with us.
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Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates