Board of Regents ‘just says no’ to tobacco use on campus
By Sierra Hubbard, Staff Writer
The Board of Regents approved a complete ban on tobacco products on all University System of Georgia campuses on Wednesday, March 19 that will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2014.
In the press release by the USG, Marion Fedrick, vice chancellor for Human Resources, addresses the idea behind the ban.
“Our aim with this policy is to preserve and improve the health, comfort and environment of employees and any persons occupying USG facilities.”
According to the meeting agenda, a tobacco product is “defined as cigarettes, cigars, pipes, all forms of smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes and any other smoking devices that use tobacco such as hookahs or simulate the use of tobacco such as electronic cigarettes.”
The ban includes all indoor and outdoor areas on properties owned, leased, or rented by USG as well as events held by or on behalf of USG. It covers students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors, and extends to include the inside of one’s car. The agenda states “the use of tobacco products is prohibited in all vehicles – private or public vehicles – located on USG property.”
John Millsaps, associate vice chancellor for media relations, says the ban proposal did not experience any significant opposition.
“It’s been received extremely well,” Millsaps said. “The policy passed with no dissenting votes by the Board.”
Some students, however, feel differently. Heath Worrell, a junior studying computer science, uses electronic cigarettes on campus and does not agree with the ban.
“I feel it’s a bit overkill,” Worrell said. “I personally do think that, as long as the [designated smoking] areas are decently located so that you aren’t forced to walk through them in order to get to a class or a building, you know, I feel like that’s fair.”
Other campuses do not have the feature of designated smoking areas, though. According to Millsaps, it was not considered to implement this idea at all colleges in the system.
“The idea was to be consistent across the system,” Millsaps said, “to do a total ban of tobacco products on all our campuses. This is not a halfway measure; this is a complete ban.”
Worrell does not believe it will be effective in its goal to stop people from using tobacco.
“If people want to, they’re going to,” Worrell said. “That’s just the way it is. I think it’s probably going to cut down on it happening on campus, but if they’re trying to encourage or help people to quit, I don’t think it will be effective for any significant portion of the population.”
Chris Laurent, a sophomore finance major, does not smoke or use tobacco, but he is not a supporter of the ban either.
“I think it’s their choice,” Laurent said. “If they want to do it, then they can do it, but it’s smart to do it in designated areas, like, to make that a thing hereI think most people will either just go somewhere off campus or they’ll try to get around doing it on campus.”
Amy Scott, a freshman English major on campus, is a smoker who believes the ban sends a mixed message.
“Yes, you’re adults now and we expect you to be responsible,” Scott said, “but we’re still going to treat you like high school students. It’s exchanging one set of parents for another.”
She does, however, understand the intentions.
“I can appreciate the fact that there is a genuine concern for people’s health and well-being at the core of this policy.”
Regardless of the popular opinion on the matter, though, the ban is set to go into effect on Oct. 1, 2014 across all campuses in the University System of Georgia.
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Is the smoking ban fair? Leave a comment below.
I feel that the ban is a bit ridiculous. You’ve got sometimes 40+ year old adults on campus, who are now treated like a child regulating when they can smoke a cigarette. This definitely makes me angry, espeically because alot of times I would go to the area between the English and Social Science building and do my school work and smoke as I wished. No one bothered me, nor did anyone distract me. In the buildings, voices echo and I get more distracted by different conversations, opposed to being outdoors where I can distance myself from others. I will definitely now take as many online courses as possible, just to ensure that I will have to be on campus as little as possible. I do not like being told I cannot have a cigarette, especially when I did respect the rules. I do understand the concern for students health, however I also understand that I am legally over the age limit to make my own purchase on these items. This really upsets me, and honestly I am glad it doesn’t go in effect until October 1st because at least by then I will be on campus as little as possible.
I agree the ban is excessive where it infringes within the areas of a personal owned vehicle, yet I agree with the idea otherwise. For those against it consider this, there is no real enforcement of the standing regulations on smokers remaining in restricted areas. Everywhere you go there are people walking and smoking or smoking in areas that are not designated. So in fact the people who refused to abide by the standing rules are what created this, and in typical fashion the new regulation is an overkill. If people want to blame someone, blame the person who thought they did not have to follow the rules
I quit smoking a year and a half ago and feel that this over all ban is self defeating to keeping students on campus for socializing, student organizations and that whole collegiate experience. Simply, students will again go from parking lot, class, parking lot in order to smoke as opposed to staying on campus to socialize, eat, and be a part of Kennesaw State University.
I also do not doubt that there will be more said by students come October 1 when it all becomes real as opposed to announced during the last week of school and the start of finals.
I agree with many students that some of our designated smoking areas need to be relocated as they are in direct paths of entering buildings. IF I were to start smoking again it would be a slight inconvenience to follow the relocation of these smoking areas —but to say I cannot smoke in my own car is just over reaching authority. …especially when the university depends so heavily upon student fees…it is wrong to tell us what we can do in our private vehicle.