College Publisher Test Site

Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: News

Media Credit: James Lim [Click to enlarge]

While many people have seen the non-smoking signs posted around campus, it hasn't stopped the growing number of students who still choose to partake in on-campus smoking.

Stairwells, less crowded corridors, and even an area in the parking lot near the cafeteria have all become undesignated havens for campus smokers. While some may assume that their discretion has heeded little uproar from the faculty and staff, Health Services has made it a priority this semester to put a stop to the disregard for campus policy.

Beginning the first day of this spring semester, health service representatives could be seen posting new signs and leaving baskets of candy and informative anti-smoking cards in the areas frequented by school smokers.

While hopes were high for a positive outcome to this tactic, Polly Rose, a registered nurse and community educator for Health Services said that little has changed.

"Smokers are not complying," Rose said. "The students have been tearing down the signs, and ignoring the faculty's request to take their smoking off-campus."

While the mission statement of the "Healthy Campus 2007 Act" states that the decision for a
smoke-free campus is due to "the health related problems associated with second-hand smoke" Rose said this is not the only concerning issue. The litter caused by discarded cigarette butts is forcing the custodial department to focus it's attention on the "smoking areas" as opposed to the rest of the campus.

"It is costing the school money to pay me to put up these signs repeatedly, when I could be working on other important issues on campus," said Rose.

While these issues may be of valid concern, the reaction from some student smokers has not been fully sympathetic.

"I don't have a problem not smoking everywhere on campus, but I think its unfair for them to not let us have at least one smoking area with ash trays so we could dispose of our cigarettes properly," said Mitch Arbol, a second year student at Mesa.

hen asked why he, like many other students, refused to stop smoking after being confronted by a faculty member in the school parking lot, he said, "Based on the perimeters shown in the school catalog, I'm not technically breaking any rules."

Continued...

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