2008 Woodie Awards
Committee says: Students want a smoke free campus
Kimberly Tsao
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News
About 20 people attended the SJSU Smoke-Free Policy Committee's open forum in the Student Union on Wednesday. The committee presented its implementation plan and rationale for trying to make the campus smoke-free.
"They have better food, but we have better content," an attendee jokingly said, referring to the Student Organization Recognition Banquet in the Barrett Ballroom at the same time Wednesday.
Some of the committee members presented studies that showed the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke. According to one slide, 15 percent of secondhand smoke is inhaled by the smoker, while the remaining 85 percent goes into the air.
"Student health is the biggest thing for us," said Carole Foster, a graduate biology major. She said the idea is to make it harder for people to smoke so they won't smoke in the first place.
The Smoke-Free Policy Committee was founded January 2007, but the efforts for a smoke-free campus stretched back to 1998.
Gina Vittori, founder of the committee, said the group is attempting to reduce the "restraining forces" to the policy. The members said the administration is reluctant to approve the policy partly because it might hurt the number of SJSU applicants.
They also sent out questionnaires to the members of the Academic Senate and neighborhood associations. If the campus chooses to adopt designated smoking areas, the houses around campus would be affected as well, committee member Analilia Garcia said.
The committee is aiming to get several university entities behind its cause such as Associated Students, the Academic Senate and the president's office. The group scheduled a meeting with the A.S. University Affairs Committee before the forum, but it was cancelled for the second time.
"They gave us the wrong date," said Foster, 33. The meeting has been rescheduled for May 7.
According to a handout at the forum, the implementation plan will involve four phases. Since the policy hasn't been approved, the committee isn't in any of the stages. The first phase will last about three months, and it entails removing smoking signs on buildings and assigning temporary designated areas.
"They have better food, but we have better content," an attendee jokingly said, referring to the Student Organization Recognition Banquet in the Barrett Ballroom at the same time Wednesday.
Some of the committee members presented studies that showed the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke. According to one slide, 15 percent of secondhand smoke is inhaled by the smoker, while the remaining 85 percent goes into the air.
"Student health is the biggest thing for us," said Carole Foster, a graduate biology major. She said the idea is to make it harder for people to smoke so they won't smoke in the first place.
The Smoke-Free Policy Committee was founded January 2007, but the efforts for a smoke-free campus stretched back to 1998.
Gina Vittori, founder of the committee, said the group is attempting to reduce the "restraining forces" to the policy. The members said the administration is reluctant to approve the policy partly because it might hurt the number of SJSU applicants.
They also sent out questionnaires to the members of the Academic Senate and neighborhood associations. If the campus chooses to adopt designated smoking areas, the houses around campus would be affected as well, committee member Analilia Garcia said.
The committee is aiming to get several university entities behind its cause such as Associated Students, the Academic Senate and the president's office. The group scheduled a meeting with the A.S. University Affairs Committee before the forum, but it was cancelled for the second time.
"They gave us the wrong date," said Foster, 33. The meeting has been rescheduled for May 7.
According to a handout at the forum, the implementation plan will involve four phases. Since the policy hasn't been approved, the committee isn't in any of the stages. The first phase will last about three months, and it entails removing smoking signs on buildings and assigning temporary designated areas.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Steve
posted 5/01/08 @ 11:36 PM PST
I'm in favor of designated areas.
A complete ban on it would be nice but let's be realistic. Smokers start craving during the day and they would have to go off campus to smoke? Then as I'm walking around off campus on the perimeter, I get the pleasure of walking through all the smoke because the smokers are all gathered on the perimeter of the campus smoking it up. (Continued…)
Luke Appleton
posted 5/03/08 @ 1:37 AM PST
I'm an asthmatic so it'd make sense but as long as people who smoke don't smoke indoors or puff onto me I'm pretty much okay.
I'd like to second what Steve said. (Continued…)
Julie
posted 5/04/08 @ 4:39 PM PST
I use to go to a community college that was a smoke free campus. It worked out well because the campus allowed for certain areas to allow smoking but majority of the campus was smoke free. (Continued…)
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