Smoking Ban Results February 2010 # Answer 1 Yes 2 No Total Response % 96 73% 35 27% 131 100% Statistic Value Mean 1.27 Variance 0.20 Standard Deviation 0.44 Total Responses 131 Enforcement 1.
No one enforces the 25‐foot rule, who is going to enforce this initiative. It seems silly to ask 18‐24 year olds to step off campus to conduct what is a legal activity. How would this impact safety? 2.
It's un‐enforcable and unnecessary 3.
The only concern I have is on who will enforce it and how can you enforce it 4.
I sense there are issues that will need to be resolved regarding enforcement. Also, as a non‐smoker, I understand that this can and will be a serious inconvience for those that do smoke. 5.
Yes, but I have no idea how it could be enforced or managed. Will someone be hired to write tickets/citations to violators? It seems like a good idea (conceptually) but not at all practical. 1 6.
Enforcement will be hard. And the problem won't be students, it will be faculty/staff. 7.
Just curious who/how this is going to be in enforced. Currently not supposed to smoke right next to buildings and people still do. 8.
But for those who smoke, I think this will be extremely problematic. Who will be enforcing it‐‐are there fines? Do you throw students out of school? If you don't enforce it on students, how can you enforce it on employees? If you don't enforce it on employeees, how can you enforce it on students? 9.
I hope that this will go a long way towards cleaning up the campus and improving the appeal of it. My concern is that it won't be enforced and be treated like a joke. 10. I do not like having to pass people smoking at door entrances. They are not staying away from them and enforcing it, doesn't happen. 11. I really want to know who will be enforcing this. Also we have to think of community impact. If smoking is not allowed on campus then students and staff that smoke are going to go to community areas. This could be a huge public relations nightmare. 12. I want to support this....but I want to know who and how this is going to be enforced. I work in Housing and I want to know if we (University Housing...Hall Directors and Student Staff) are the only people expected to enforce this policy?!? I see enforcement as a huge problem. Are the University Police going to actually spend there time enforcing this policy? It isn't against the law to smoke (yet), so just a "ban", is that what police will and should be spending thier time doing (enforcing)?!? During the day, while people work, is one thing....but we have students that live on campus 12 months a year, and smoke! What about them? Is this realistic? Has anyone checked the pros and cons of this with other instituations (like institutions in Iowa)? Are we going to have a line of smokers, across from univeristy property, on public streets smoking? How does that look to perspective students/parents, as they drive onto campus? Do 15 min. breaks get cut from day time workers? The 15 min break was meant as a work day "smoke break"....correct? What do employees that work for the University, and smoke, do? Where do they go? I like the idea of a cleaner university. I love the idea of not walking into a cloud of smoke. But how is this going to be enforced? Is it realistic? 13. I support it in principle, however I feel it will be difficult to enforce. I don't think the present campus smoking policy is very well enforced (need to be 25 feet from an entrance?). Since I'm not a smoker I'm not aware of how this will impact the lives of smokers on campus. Will workers take longer breaks because they have to go off campus to smoke? If so how will this impact worker productivity? 14. Who is going to enforce it? It is a rare sight to see our campus police patroling on foot during the day... 15. I believe that this ban is very unrealistic as there is no way it can possibly be enforced. Even more, the campuses in Iowa and other states that have switched to this have had multiple issues with the enforcement of their bans as well as with the negative relations it has formed between their campuses and the community due to the locations of where students/staff can smoke. I have already sent the Chancellor a copy of the presentation I attended by an Iowa school that faced these issues. 16. I don't think it will stop smoking on campus, and I think it will damage Stout's relationship with the Menomonie community for those smokers who do go off campus(across the street)to smoke and inflict their filthy habit and their miserable cigarette waste by‐products on local merchants, who will be forced to clean up after them and have their customers run the smoking gauntlet to get into their stores. It will continue to create an adversarial environment on campus for people who feel compelled to confront smokers, and I'm sure the campus police really have time to deal with this, also ‐ who's going to enforce it for God's sake? 17. Absolutely want this to happen. I'm not sure about compliance and enforcement, but even we don't get 100% compliance, I think it would still cut down on smoking on campus. The current model of "please smoke away from the building" is a joke. The smokers congregrate just outside of buildings, due to the cold or time, so you need to go through them to get into buildings. 2 Healthy Environment 1.
The justification for this ban is simple and based entirely on facts. The Environmental Protection Association has "scientifically" determined that there are NO safe levels of second‐hand smoke. Past history has shown that smokers do NOT follow existing smoking rules (e.g., no smoking within 25' of a building. No smoking by air intakes. No smoking in no smoking areas.) A complete campus‐wide ban on smoking is the right way to help protect the non‐smokers rights. Second‐hand smoke and sidestream smoke can and does cause cancer. Everyone has the right to clean air if they so choose so these rights must prevail. Many people have other health issues that are not visible to the human eye. Forcing them to walk through second‐hand smoke not only violates their rights but can also have adverse effects on their health. We need to protect the health of our staff and students and send the right message in that "we support protecting everyone's health to the best of our ability." 2.
As a previous smoker myself, i think it is a good idea to ban smoking on the campus to avoid health hazards associated with smoking and second hand smoking. 3.
Even banning smoking to just outside of the building somewhere causes the smoke to be sucked in by the air intake which blows it around inside the building. Many people are allergic to the smoke and there are obvious health concerns involved with cigarette smoke. 4.
I think it is important to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy choices, especially with students on campus. It also teaches us to be mindful of other's choices. In other words, you may choose to smoke, but I do not choose to breathe in your smoke! 5.
Secondary smoke is a larger problem than has trditionally been known. Those who are prevented from smoking on campus will become that much more aware of how one person's habit affeccts those who must share the smoke. Smoking is not just an individual addiction. It's a social disease. 6.
As a non‐smoker (who grew up with smoking parents)I find even walking through the poluted second‐hand, regenerated air a bit repulsive. As I work hard to stay healthy, I feel it is inappropriate to have me breath smoke poluted air before I walk into buildings or as I walk through campus. 7.
Smoking‐related deaths are estimated at 400,000 annually in the US alone, making it the single largest preventable cause of death. Smoking rates have declined significantly in the past two decades, and societal attitudes in general have shifted toward a recognition of the personal and public health hazards that smoking creates. We already have a smoking ban in buildings. It's time to move to the next step and ban smoking on campus as a whole. 8.
I think it is a health issue and it is good the university is taking a stand. 9.
It just makes sense to let the vast majority breath clear air. 10. I don't smoke. Don't think it's a good for one's health. It is not the job of government to regulate smoking though. As part of Inclusive Excellence I understand we are supposed to promote‐‐ not just accept‐‐ different lifestyles. I am certain that Inclusive Excellence will protect the rights and promote the choice of smokers to smoke if they so choose. Inclusive Excellence touts that there is no right or wrong‐‐ so how can you have Inclusive Excellence on a campus that doesn't promote and support smokers? 11. I think this is a LONG time coming. This campus should be supporting people's health, not promoting the use of cancer sticks. 12. So much is know about the effects of smoking that we should ban it here on campus. At the same time, we as a community may consider helping smokers. Programming to quit smoking? Team up with health organizations? 13. The Faculty, Academic Staff and Classified Staff at UW‐Stout should model healthy life styles on our campus. 3 14. I don't think it's fair to expose everyone to cigarette smoke. Individuals smoke immediately next to the buildings. Also, most people throw their cigarette butts on the ground, which is very unsightly. When it rains those butts will flow into storm drains, which flow directly to the Red cedar River without any pre‐treatment. Cigarette butts do not biodegrade. The filters are made of foam (plastic). They eventually flow into the ocean, where marine species may ingest them. 15. Absolutely the best thing UW‐Stout could do to promote a healthy campus. Cause Surrounding Community Problems 1.
A campus‐wide ban will lead to smokers standing on street corners ‐ in front of businesses, in business parking lots etc.. Unfortunately, that natural consequence will lead to a lot of unsightly debris, cigarette butts etc. throughout the adjacent community undoubtedly leading to increased "gown & town" frustration and conflict. As much as the University may desire to be seen as opposed to smoking, the campus would be far better served if we did our own housekeeping versus foisting a potentially disgusting problem on the civic community. 2.
I feel this ban will put the University in a negative light. Students will go to the outskirts of the campus and smoke. I feel students who do smoke will smoke more in their room than going outside to an area where smoking is permitted. Also, I believe enforcement of the bam will be nearly impossible. As it is not state law, students will not receive any consequence for violating the ban. As for staff, you can go the route as stating it violates policy but there has been a "25‐foot" policy in place for several years and this is rarely enforced, if ever. As a campus who enforces the two‐year housing requirement, I feel that if we tell students they are required to live on campus they should have the right to smoke where they live. 3.
As a non‐smoker, I believe a complete ban is unnecessarily punitive, and that the negatives would outweigh the positives. A ban of this type would only move the smokers to more visible locations, such as on Broadway, or to sidewalks in front of private residences, where property owners would be forced to clean up cigarette butts on a regular basis. Additionally, it seems likely that at least some percentage of prospective students who are smokers would choose a campus with a less stringent smoking policy over one with a complete ban. While I am sometimes mildly bothered by the smell of smoke at the entrances of buildings on campus, I don't consider it a health hazard of any sort for passersby like myself. Personally, I'd hate for my colleagues and students who smoke to be forced off campus when there doesn't seem to be any compelling reason for such a strict policy. I believe it will reflect poorly on Stout to have smokers fleeing the campus in order to have a cigarette, and providing enforcement for a ban of this type would, in my opinion, be a waste of human resources. "Live and let live" would be my vote. 4.
I do not feel that Banning smoking on campus will solve the issues that it is trying to address. Likewise, I feel that the ban will only strain the relationship between the college and the Menomonie Community. Students and staff will be forced to smoke on community property which will only add to the stress of the current relationship. Furthermore, even though I am personally not a smoker, I don't believe that it is appropriate for the University to mandate where individuals can smoke on campus. Legal Activity/Discrimination 1.
I don't smoke, but I thought at this was the USA! Don't the tax payer contribute to this University? If they want to walk onto the campus they pay for they should be allowd to have a smoke! plain and simple 2.
1. It is still a legal activity 2. How will it effect visitors and personnel that smoke? 3. Where are the smokers rights? 4. How can it be enforced? 5. There are greater things to be concerned about than some one smoking in the open air. 3.
This is another attempt to take away our rights 4.
Smoking is not illegal and to deny someone would be discriminatory. I have had at least one academic staff member voice their concern not only making smoking prohibited, but also that it could impact the university's ability to draw outside groups to campus. 4 5.
Why is the University trying to ban a completely legal activity? Why are smokers treated like second‐class citizens on a campus that preaches diversity? Smokers are already forced to stand away from building entrances, as not to affect or "inconvenience" those entering or leaving the building. Do anti‐smoking students and faculty lack the common sense to avoid walking near someone smoking? One has to wonder: Is this ban in the interest of health, or are we just doing the "popular" thing and jumping on the no‐smoking bandwagon? If the ban is truly in the interest of health, then the university should do random drug and alcohol testing of students living in the residence halls. Illegal drug use and underage drinking are much, much more common than smoking. Can we please stop adopting every popular social trend and concentrate on really important issues, like the budget? 6.
I don't smoke and I don't like smoke, but I do think a ban will be a hardship for people who have the bad habit of smoking. Will you ban eating next? 7.
I'm not a smoker and I agree that smoking is bad for you. There are smokers on campus both faculty and staff, what will they do if this ban happens? 8.
I could see banning smoking to certain areas on campus but the entire campus??? I personally do not smoke but know some individuals who do. These individuals may live on campus and they would have to leave campus in order to smoke? In my opinion that is discrimination! Isn't it? 9.
I am a responsible and courteous smoker and I feel the ban is unfair to me and smokers like me. Education and enforcement of reasonable guidelines/rules/restrictions should be sufficient. 10. Although our students (and faculty/staff) are adults and have the legal right to choose to smoke, the students who choose not to smoke also have the right to a campus that is free from potential health risks that is within our capacity to control. I look forward to seeing this campus‐wide intiative implemented. Alternative Solutions 1.
Designated outdoor smoking areas (away from entry doors to campus buildings) would provide a less stressful solution for those on campus who smoke. 2.
I would like to see areas where smokers could go to smoke (covered "huts" with ash urns) This is mainly for those students living in the dorms. Continue to not allow smoking in the building (their apartments and apartment buildings) but provide an area on campus that they can go to so they can smoke. If there is a campus‐
wide smoking ban, I believe we will have problems with students and staff finding hiding places to smoke instead of walking off campus. 3.
Although I do not smoke personally, I think we should be making a legal place for someone to smoke. Stout should be a welcoming and inclusve place and should not discriminate against smokers. I also worry about how you would enforse a campus wide smoking ban? Thanks for asking. With all the talk I was feeling that the Chancellor had his mind made up and didn't care about our opinions. I'm glad I was wrong on this one! 4.
I think UW‐Stout should set up smoking areas like Disney World rather than a campus ban. A ban will discourage students that smoke from continuing at our campus or coming here at all. I see it as 'discriminating' against smokers, although we claim to be an 'equal opportunity' campus. Employees will just take longer breaks as they need to 'get off campus' and will be gone longer, and we will be paying them for this time. A 'No Smoking Ban' is NOT going to make smokers quit. It will only 'alienate them and discriminate' against them for a habit that in my opinion is a 'minor flaw'. This no smoking ban will only harm the already deficit budget problems, does not enhance student's learning in any shape or form and is discriminatory. We should be looking at the big problems and issues, not spending time, money and energy picking on the 'smoking minority'. 5.
If we are going to ban smoking on campus, then are we prepared to offer FREE counseling and programs to help folks quit? I do not smoke, but I use to and I know how much of an addiction it is. Many people do not realize just how strong this addiction is. You can't just "turn it off". I've often said, you never really quit smoking, you just cut back severely. I say this because even after being smoke free for over fifteen years, there are still times I 5 would really like to have a cigarette. I think we should phase into it for the sake of those who have been smoking for fifteen or twenty years. We could have designated smoking areas, and if you as a non‐smoker don't want to breath any smoke, then avoid those areas! It may be your right to be in those places, but it is the smokers right too....and they still have a right to smoke. There has to be some responsibility on both sides. Let's ease the smokers out of it. We could then reduce the number of designated smoking areas each year until by 2015 we have none. By that time most of the programs should have been successful to get them to quit. Other 1.
That's fine with me! 2.
It is past due! 3.
Continue with the away from doorways but don't put in a useless ban. 4.
Definitely!!! I hate walking through a cloud of smoke to get into the building. Even though people aren't supposed to smoke by the buildings, they always do! 5.
I find it very unappealing to have to walk through someones smoke in order to get into or out of a building. Smokers never seem to follow the rule of 25 feet away from a building. 6.
I don't smoke 7.
As adults, we should be able to make our own decisions regarding smoking, or any other vice. There is enough micromanaging of one's life by society/university. 8.
I'm not sure what the policy currently is on this campus, but I know I don't like walking through and inhaling a cloud of smoke right when I step outside or prior to entering a building. In addition, I don't like walking behind someone who's smoking, and there is nothing I can do to escape the smoke. 9.
violation of student rights (this is their home) will lose enrollment of smokers UW‐Stout is a public institution‐‐
need a place for smokers‐‐‐who will ever want to schedule a facility for a wedding, etc. loss of income to Stout loss of attendance to athletic events, music, art, etc. current polciy of allowing smoking within 25 feet is working accidents‐‐‐concern of injuries as smokers go to the streets and between vehicles to smoke will lose enrollment, funds, and have law suits as injuries will happen to smokers who will have to go smoke on the edge of Stout property weekend classes, conferences, workshops, will go to other public places, such as hotel conference centers, etc. which provide an outside area for smokers 10. The Chancellor needs to quit throwing his weight around, seeking personal recognition and publicity, concerning non‐academic activity. If he is addressing enclosed/housed environment that is one thing; if campus wide means territorial geography, that would seem to be outside of his jurisdiction. There are far more pressing issues he could/should be addressing. A Non‐smoker 11. Why must the campus wait so long to go smoke‐free. It's something that could be implemented tomorrow! 12. Smoker's hover outside the doors and leave their butts on the ground. I don't like breathing/smelling the smoke as I pass smokers walking to and from class. 13. 100% in favor 14. Yes! Walking through a wall of smoke to enter a building is not good puclic relations for admissions or for other external stakeholers such as advisory boards or employers. We really need to ban smoking from campus. 6