Jared Kilkenny – Special to the Southern News
In 2011, with the removal of campus gazebos from the SCSU campus, sheltered areas where cigarette smokers could carry out their habits declined. If the university carries out its next prospected venture, the areas where smoking is welcome will decline yet again.
According to the Joseph Dooley, chief of SCSU Police and the chair of the SCSU Health and Safety Committee, Southern is exploring the possibility of joining the Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative, a program launched in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Although new policies are still being discussed, the initiative would prohibit all smoking and tobacco use on university owned property. Parking areas, walkways, and lawns – these areas would be included in the policy.
“To have to leave campus just to smoke a cigarette would be f—ing ridiculous,” said Shane Crawford, an international business senior and cigarette smoker since high school. “We’re irritable enough as it is. We don’t need something else pissing us off.”
This would expand on current policies in place at SCSU that ask tobacco users to maintain a smoke-free distance of 25 feet from all building entrances and overhangs alongside the prohibition of smoking in all indoor areas. According to Crawford, enforcement of these policies is currently light and smokers comply with little confrontation.
“It would include all of the state property that encompasses Southern Connecticut State University,” said Dooley. “When I put that email out the other day, a lot of feedback came. It’s a real sensitive topic.”
Dooley said that all forms of tobacco would be included under the new prohibition including chewing tobacco. Although there is currently no policy pertaining to the use of tobacco-free e-cigarettes, their future use on campus is also being discussed with this initiative.
“You try not to predict the future,” said Dooley, “but if we were to go down the path of tobacco-free, it would be with the intent to include e-cigarettes and other alternative methods as well.”
According to Dooley, the new rules would come along with financial penalties to enforce them in the form of a $75 infraction ticket for violators. However, campus law enforcement would follow an “ask for compliance” strategy for first time offenders.
“That’s just an added way to make money if you ask me,” said Andre Chamberlin, a nursing sophomore and cigarette smoker since high school. “They should just put designated smoking areas and it wouldn’t be such an issue.”
Dooley said that SCSU is faced with unique challenges that other schools, like Gateway Community College in New Haven, did not have to face when they became the first Connecticut public institution to initiate their own smoke-free campus policies. How these policies will be translated to Southern’s larger campus are still being discussed.
“In their setting,” said Dooley, “as one building it is much easier than the things that we’ll be facing here at Southern. There, you can go across the street, smoke a cigarette, and come right back. It’s been an ongoing discussion.”
According to Dr. Diane Morgenthaler, Director of the SCSU Student Health and Wellness Center, the university hopes to use this as an opportunity to aid those who want to quit smoking by strengthening their own cessation programs. Morgenthaler said current programs are not taken advantage of often but the university is looking to encourage the option.
“As an institute of higher education,” said Morgenthaler, “we really need to address the fact that we are trying to educate and also support those that are smokers and use that as an opportunity to help them. One of the things we’re exploring is having the nicotine replacement products in the bookstore and more readily accessible on campus.”
According to Chamberlin and Crawford, most smokers, including themselves, do have a desire to quit and would appreciate cessation programs if they were “done right.”
“That would be excellent,” said Crawford. “Especially since there are so many low-income students here who can’t afford that kind of thing, the help would be appreciated.”
Dooley said that the campus-wide email to introduce this initiative was an attempt to spark a discussion, a discussion that he wants students to be a part of. According to Dooley, there is no timeline for when these policies will be put into play. Dooley and those responsible for the changes want to use the opportunity to solicit suggestions from all those involved—especially smokers.
“We want [smokers’] feedback,” said Dooley. “You never want to go into it with tunnel vision and we’re not.”
According to the email sent by Dooley, organized meetings and platforms for students to voice their opinions are in the works. Meanwhile, email feedback is welcomed.
“It’s going to be great but there are a lot of smokers on campus,” said Steven Boring, a sociology freshman and non-smoker. “Do I want it to happen? No. Not really. Even though I don’t smoke myself, it’s a free country and people have a right to smoke.”
Dooley said that the rights of smokers at SCSU would continue to be considered as the university moves forward with the process. He also said that the motivation for this initiative would continue to be the health and wellness of the entire campus community as the policies come to fruition.
“A couple smokers have said to me,” said Dooley “that it’s going to be a change for them if this were to occur but one said that it would be the catalyst for him to finally quit. That’s certainly my hope.”
