Even if you got ’em, you can’t smoke ’em
SMC When classes begin in the fall, students looking to light up a cigarette before school will likely have to do so on the outskirts of Santa Monica College following a decision Monday by trustees to completely ban smoking on campus.
The 4-3 vote in favor of the total ban followed testimony from students, teachers and employees of the college, all urging elected officials to abandon its plan to create designated smoking areas and instead enact a campus-wide ban to protect people from the dangers of second-hand smoke.
The ban can be made official in July when the board holds a second and final vote on that matter.
“I had originally thought that we could go along with designated areas, but the speakers’ comments were very poignant and I felt that it wasn’t fair for particular students who would be walking by these smoking areas every day for a semester. That is foul,” said Rob Rader, vice chair of the board of trustees.“This is something we have to take responsibility for and create a healthy environment for our students and employees.”
Nearly 31 percent of full-time college students smoke, compared with about 25 percent of the overall population, according to the federal government’s 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Once the ban is enacted, SMC will join at least 43 campuses nationwide — from California to New Jersey — that have gone smoke-free, a trend gaining momentum as more information becomes available about the ill effects of cigarette smoke, which can increase a nonsmoker’s chances of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.
The U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona issued a report last year which concluded there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
That report, along with similar studies, prompted the Santa Monica City Council late last year to pass a comprehensive smoking ban that prevents smokers from lighting up on the Third Street Promenade, all Farmers’ Markets, service lines like movie theaters and ATMs, all outdoor dining areas, bus stops and within 20 feet of any public entrance or window.
Banning smoking at SMC has been talked about for years, but it wasn’t until students voted in April in favor of it that the idea gained steam. Of the 2,222 students who voted, 62.9 percent were in favor of the ban and 37.1 percent opposed. SMC has more than 30,000 students who attend each year.
Following the vote, Associated Students passed a resolution in support of an all-out ban. That was followed by a similar vote by the District Planning and Advisory Council (DPAC),which is comprised of faculty,administrators, classified employees and students.
Those opposed to a ban cite the low turnout for the election as reason enough to not move forward with the proposal, while those who support it have used the results to back their claim that students have given the Board of Trustees a mandate.
College administrators proposed creating designated smoking areas out of concern for surrounding neighborhoods. Some believe the outlying areas will turn into massive ash-trays, as students seek out places just off campus to smoke.
“I think that we should have had more transition time,” said Trustee Nancy Greenstein, who voted against the ban. “I didn’t want to set up a situation where people would be going along neighborhood streets smoking, particularly on Pearl Street across from (John Adams Middle School), where you have children walking back and forth... and on 16th Street, where we have the Swim Center, and in the front, where we have pedestrian traffic and the bus stops.
“I’m not in favor of smoking, but I believe it’s important to be a good neighbor.”
Greenstein would like to see student representatives and college officials reach out to those living around the college to inform them of the new policy and plans for implementation.
Clearly all involved would like to see smoking fade away on campus, said SMC President Chui Tsang, but people differ on how best to make that happen.
“We have a very progressive outlook on things and a student body in support of that,” Tsang said. “Students, faculty members and board members alike voiced their opinion that being in Santa Monica, we are in the forefront of the movement and the college decided to again take that leadership role.”
Tsang said details of how the ban will be enacted will be developed in the coming weeks. The ban is expected to come back to the board in July for a second reading, with the goal of putting it in place by the start of the fall semester.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.