SGA officials looking into smoking ban

Puffing up on campus may go up in smoke if the Student Government Association decides to pursue a smoking ban.

At the SGA meeting on Oct. 22, SGA president Amy Whitehouse asked the senators to poll their constituents and collect data on if they support a campus-wide smoking ban. On Nov. 5, the senators turned in their findings of the smoking ban poll, in writing, to Whitehouse.

The information collected by the senator’s show students, as well as faculty, believe the current smoking regulation of no smoking 20 feet from building openings needs to be better enforced. The general opinion gathered in the SGA poll from the non-smokers is they believe the current regulation needs to be better enforced and for there to be more defined smoking areas.

Separate from the SGA poll, Talon writer Sarah Baker conducted a survey of student’s opinions. “A lot of the smokers just sit on the stairs, they don’t smoke where they’re supposed to. Present laws should be enforced,” said non-smoker Dasha Gillispie, a freshmen criminal psychology major.

In the SGA poll, one senator reported ban supporters cited general health concerns over inhaling of second hand smoke as their main reason for wanting the ban.

Other students said smoking would not be such an issue if there were more ashtrays around campus. “They should put more ashtrays throughout campus, because cigarettes are really hard to throw away in trash cans,” said freshmen Taren Fite.

The smokers polled are against the smoking ban, citing most smokers abide by the laws and guidelines of the University concerning smoking and more rules would only block their freedom.

“I can see the point of not having it near doorways, but that’s a ridiculous for an entire open air campus, there’s a lot of space,” said smoker Wesley Norton, a senior history and sociology major.

Sarah Baker contributed to this report.