Should EdCC Become a Non-Smoking Campus?

[Wayne]

Students and staff are talking about EdCC going non-smoking! I know we have lots of smokers as well as people who don't like the smell of smoke. I'm interested in what the campus is thinking!!

[Cari Pendergrass]

I would personally love to have a non-smoking campus! I hate walking by the smoking huts and try to avoid it at all costs. The smokers never even use the hut anyways, they mingle around the outside of it which subjects innocent bystanders like myself to their toxins. If students want to smoke they should do so in a way that will not directly impact other students in a negative way. If you need a ciggarete that bad, go to your car.

[Yin]

I also agree with Cari that we should be non-smoking campus or at least push the smoking shelters outside of the pathways. I am really glad that the smoking shelter in the center of the court yard (between MLT & ALD) is no longer a smoking area. I've always hated walking through the crowds of smokers that had taken over entire court yard area. However the international students would disagree with us because it is a common lifestyle for some of the students to be smokers in their country. I think it would be better to push the smoking shelters farther away from the entry and walkways.

[Wayne]

Thanks for the comments! So what happens if smoking is pushed away from the campus into the parking lots? Will people still have to walk through the smoke to get to non-smokey air in the middle of campus?? Maybe this concept will drive people to the center of campus!! This will be great for marketing and capturing the attention of students/staff. Hmmmmm.....

[Yin]

Hahaha.. that would be very attracting for community to see the smokers in the center of the campus parking lot prior to arriving to main campus.

[Dulcie Chase]

II think that this campus should be a non-smoking campus. There are many students who have health issues that second hand smoke adversely effects, as well some students don’t want to be force to inhale second hand smoke. I have observed the some smoker don’t even adhere to the smoking policy and they can be found wandering around campus smoking or spread out around the shacks smoking. It leaves their fellow student little choice but to walk through the smoke.

[Anna Hopkins]

I don't think smoking in our cars solves the problem nor is that accepted as the policy on campus. There are designated smoking places for a reason and the smokers need to be adult and police themselves away from areas where it is not allowed. As far as the standing outside the huts from what I see everyday on campus. It gets pretty crowded from all the added students and there are ashtrays placed on the outsides . I personally do not see students invading the pathways and I am there regularly. I think "the students don't even use the huts" is a slight exaggeration just to prove a point that you don't "Hate" like it doesn't mean all others feel that way. I would say using negative language doesn't help your point when you want to effect change you need to be part of the solution. A few bad eggs does not account for all of the smokers on campus.

[Dulcie Chase]

Hi Anna,

Good points! I agree that not all smokers on campus are breaking the smoking policy, but like you said there are a few bad eggs. How do you propose the smokers police themselves? Last year there was a suggestion that the smokers start a club and work on keeping the smoking areas clean and like you said policing themselves.

[Anna Hopkins]

I would be willing to help out in any way possible to help to curb the problem. I am sure there must be some more students that would be willing to help. I think a club would be a good start to making sure we jump in to ask offenders not to violate the policies of the campus. I will ask at the Hut's if anyone would be interested in a club to see if we can work together to solve this Issue. I don't like that people do not follow the policy either but I am only one person. We would need some kind of authority backing us up to enforce what we ask be done. I would also be happy to type some signs to place at the huts.

[Dulcie Chase]

Hi Anna,

Your ideas sound like a great start. If you want to start a club you can go to the Office of Student Life and get the club charting information. I personally wish more smoking students were like yourself.

[Cari Pendergrass]

Hi Anna, I chose my words in an effort to get the conversation started, not to offend, and it looks like it worked! My intention was to reach the other side, I always hear from non-smoking students about why smoking should not be allowed on campus but very rarely do I hear the veiws of smokers. Your opinions and suggestions are appreciated and I hope that you will continue to voice them and encourage others to do the same.

Thanks!
Cari

[Steven DuBois]

I'm a smoker myself, and I would feel pretty ostracized if I had nowhere to smoke on campus.

@Anna, I agree whole-heartedly that smokers do need to be adults, and follow the rules. If you don't like the rules, then have them changed, or go somewhere else.

I try to be as considerate as possible for non-smokers, and those who have health issues, but I must say I enjoy my own civil liberties as well. EdCC is definitley a step up from say... a court house, or high school, where people complain all the time to smokers.

If you're gonna whine at me about second hand smoke, don't blame me for spending more time in my cloud doing your whining.

[Kenny Spotz]

I also smoke and would hate to see the smoking huts removed from the campus. I think we could find a better solution to this problem by simply changing the locations. Currently the huts are located next to two of the most clogged pathways on campus (especially the one underneath Woodway). This leads to a good percentage of the campus walking through second hand smoke at least once a day. One place where I almost never see people walking is the raised platform on the North side of Mount Lake Terrace (above the campus maintenance building). It seems like a big enough area, why not combine the Woodway and Meadowdale huts into one large smoking area up there?