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By Tony Viola, Staff Writer
There is only one week left for students and staff to comment on the new potential changes to the smoking policy. Just in case you have been living under a rock, Section 1.1 of the proposed new smoking policy states, “The use of all smoking tobacco products, simulated tobacco products (electric cigarettes, etc.), natural/artificial tobacco-like substitutes, devices (Hookah, etc.), smokeless tobacco, or tobacco-like substitutes (particularly, spit-and-chew varieties) is prohibited in all University buildings, campus facilities (e.g. sports venues, parking lots, grounds), and off-campus locations such as the Highlands Center (and adjacent parking area) which are under the control of West Liberty University.”
Many students seem not too pleased with the changes. Communications major Melanie Meherg thinks she has earned the privilege to smoke when and where she likes.
“When I turned 18 I got the right to buy cigarettes and smoke them when I want. Its legal. We have the right to smoke,” the junior said. “Instead of banning it they should have a designated area to smoke at.”
“We’re adults,” Kayla Stickley added. “We should be allowed to smoke.”
Fellow Communications major Emily Chapman couldn’t agree more. “I’m a 26-year-old woman and I’m not going to be allowed to smoke on a campus that I pay to attend. There’s nowhere else to smoke,” Chapman said. “We’re not a big campus and we don’t have a big surrounding community. You can’t even go across the street to smoke a cigarette. I’d have to drive or sit in my car to smoke.”
Junior Darren Stern doesn’t even smoke cigarettes and has a few problems with the policy. “I think it’s ridiculous,” the Biology major said. “If you don’t like cigarette smoke, don’t go around it. Our campus is an open area; people don’t have to be around cigarettes if they don’t want to be. Smokers are nice people. If you ask them to move, they will.”
“We’re smoking outside in the open air. If they’re complaining about butts on the ground, then quite frankly what are they paying maintenance for?” senior Danny Davis questioned. “There are many other problems that they should be dealing with, like parking. It’s our right to smoke if we choose to. I personally don’t think it’s going to work. People will keep smoking.”
Despite these opinions, West Liberty seems hell-bent on re-enforcing its new potential policy. Section 3.1 states,“Faculty, staff, and students who see individuals smoking or using tobacco products or tobacco-like substitutes are asked to inform these individuals in a professional and courteous manner that University policy prohibits tobacco and tobacco-like substitutes use anywhere on campus.
“Offenders are to be reported appropriately to the Dean of Enrollment and Student Services/Registrar, the Vice President of Human Resources, or Campus Police.”
Section 3.2 continues, “The initial individual policy violation will be addressed with assistance and education in becoming tobacco free. Repeated violations will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and the student judicial and disciplinary policy or the appropriate employee disciplinary policy in place for faculty, management, and staff. Repeated violations could lead to student expulsion or employment termination as appropriate. And, for instance, if someone comes up to you and asks to ‘bum a smoke’, you will again be in violation of the policy.”
Section 1.4 reads, “The sale of or free distribution of tobacco products or tobacco like substitutes on campus is prohibited. This includes the delivery of tobacco products or tobacco-like substitutes to campus by means of delivery services of any kind. In addition, tobacco advertisements are prohibited in all University produced publications.”
So to all the people who read this and at any moment asked “Are you kidding me?” You have one week left to voice your concerns. Tell David Syrylo and Beverly Burke how you feel. Both serve on the President’s council and comments concerning the new smoking policy can be sent to Syrylo or the President’s office.
If the Board of Governors passes the proposed policy, the new rules will go into effect on July 1, 2012. Meaning when we return in the fall, the only time you would be allowed to smoke is if you’re on fire.
You have a voice. Let it be heard.
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“Instead of banning it they should have a designated area to smoke at” – They have those, no one used them. Instead people who smoked would do it RIGHT by the doors, this infringes on the rights of nonsmokers to be able to have clean, fresh air to breath. Also, many warning emails were sent out to ALL student emails, warning that smokers needed to start obeying the smoking areas and not smoke by the doors. In fact, they were only supposed to be 20 feet from the doors and no smoking in the breezeway.
“As a reminder, smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco are prohibited in any building on campus, within 20 feet of doorways to any buildings, and under any covered structure, including the breezeway.
If you smoke, please do so near the plastic cigarette receptacles”
That is in an email straight from Scott Cook and sent on 08/21/11. Don’t act as if this was just thrown at you without any warnings. Smokers were warned time and time again to NOT smoke where they weren’t allowed. You want to act as if you should be allowed to smoke because you’re an adult? Then act like an adult and smoke where you’re supposed to. If you’re too lazy to stand 20 feet from the doorways, then you should probably review your smoking habits.
I have nothing against smokers, but don’t sit there and act as if no warnings were sent or that you had no specific area to smoke in. You do. Anywhere a plastic cigarette receptacle is. I pay to go to school here, too, why should I be forced to walk through a cloud of smoke anytime I try to enter a building? This isn’t a one way street where smokers get special privileges. It enrages me that you only look at the side of smokers and not look at how many huddle in areas they shouldn’t be in. Smoking kills, it’s a known fact. That’s why there are rules in place of where smokers are allowed to smoke. To save people who don’t smoke from having to smell like it, breathe it in or suffer from it. I’m asthmatic, why should I have to deal with walking through smokers to get to my class? It’s ridiculous. They were warned time and time again to change their ways, but they didn’t. I have at least four emails from just last year about people not smoking in the designated area. As they say, ignorance of the law doesn’t give you the right to break it.
Oh, also, on 9/07/11 Mary Ann Edwards sent an email to all campus people with an attachment. In the attachment it states the current tobacco policy and at the end, it states that they have noticed many of the above being ignored and violated. Effective on that day, the campus was on a 90 day period where smokers compliance with the above policies would be monitored. If there were no were improvement, the board of governors would be asked to consider changing its policy to “No Smoking On Campus”. This wasn’t a surprise, there were warnings sent out constantly. I’m assuming smokers either ignored it or assumed that nothing would happen, because they didn’t do anything before. Smokers should have familiarized themselves with these emails and the policies before it came to this. There was fair warnings, just no one paid attention to it.