On Sept. 6, the members of the Student Government Association convened to discuss issues St. Bonaventure students find to be important, the focus of the meeting being the university’s policies regarding smoking.
Last year, a student survey was conducted to receive feedback about students’ positions on smoking policies. The choices included converting to a smoke-free campus, creating designated smoking zones on campus and maintaining the current smoking policy.
At the moment, the policy states that students and faculty can smoke on campus as long as they are at least 30 feet away from the entrance of the buildings on campus. The policy was recently updated to include the use of electronic cigarettes, “e-cigs,” as well as vaping after each had been determined “smokable.”
The results of the survey, according to SGA President Geoffrey Broadbent, showed that the largest percentage of students wanted to implement designated smoking zones on campus. Late last school year, SGA submitted the proposal of this policy to university officials; the policy was rejected.
Effectively, the SGA is back to the drawing board with this issue. The biggest issue with the initial proposed policy was specificity. In the midst of discussion over potential action, junior Calsey Bump said, “We should all come up together with ideas of where we want them to be so they see that SGA is still making the effort.”
However, with the varying perspectives on the issue inside the room, no concrete conclusions were drawn. With many SGA members voicing their support for an entirely smoke-free campus, and others siding with the survey results, discussion bounced back and forth.
Among the issues raised was feasibility; if Bonaventure was to make the executive decision to implement designated smoking areas, it could become difficult to select these spots across campus. “Can you envision a place on campus where you’re okay with people smoking?” asked Broadbent to a roomful of SGA members. “There’s not many places on campus where I want people [smoking].”
Another major issue that caused discussion among those in attendance at the meeting was second-hand smoke. Faculty and students alike shared their experiences with second-hand smoke, with one faculty member pointing out that certain office spaces consistently smell like smoke, as cigarette smoke comes through the windows. Being that the policy states smoking must occur 30 feet from the doors or entrances of a building, it is possible for this to occur.
The health risks associated with consistent second-hand smoke were raised as issues to consider, especially during discussions over prospective locations for designated smoking zones and the possibility of a smoke-free campus.
Certain members found themselves skeptical over the idea that any new policy regarding smoking would be effective. Several members cited the idea that, even now, the smoking policy isn’t followed the way it is written. According to Colleen Corrado, SGA’s vice president, when considering updates to policy, “it takes a little bit of time for people to enforce it and follow it.”
To that end, the administration of SGA made it clear that any resolution to this issue would not be enacted immediately. Should Bonaventure decide to create a smoke-free campus, the likelihood of going “cold turkey” would be extraordinarily low. Instead, the likely option would be to move in phases, with a goal of creating a smoke-free campus community within a few years.
Alternatively, should Bonaventure decide to create designated smoking zones around campus, the logistics of this new development would take time to be determined and implemented.
This issue is one that has caused controversy in the university community for several months now, but still has no clear-cut solution. After extensive discussion, Broadbent, in combination with the members of SGA, made the decision to pass the issue to the Student Affairs Committee for further review and clarification.
The SGA Board will vote on the issue again after the SAC culminates an official recommendation on the issue.
By Meghan Hall, Contributing Writer
hillmr16@bonaventure.edu
