Comparative Outlook at Penn State's Policy on Smoking
The policy on campus here at Penn State is quite lenient, but abides to many of the standards that are known around the country. The policy currently states “Smoking of any material is prohibited in all University facilities, at all locations, including University-owned vehicles. It also is prohibited in any outside area adjacent to a facility that’s configuration and/or other physical circumstances allow smoke either to enter and affect the internal environment or to unduly affect the environment of those entering or exiting the facility." This statement says that smoking is not permitted indoors, university vehicles, or near doorways where smoke may permit. Basically, everywhere else on campus is fair game to smoke. From walking to class to sitting in Old Main lawn, there is no rule that says one cannot partake in smoking, and it is ruining the air quality around campus. Besides the actual policy, the real problem lies within enforcement and regulation of the act. Although Penn State has a set policy on smoking, there are very little students and faculty who are actually aware of the policy and what it pertains to. I have witnessed numerous students who violate the rules daily by smoking in technically non-permitted campus areas, such as outside doorways. What is the purpose of a written policy if there is absolutely no enforcement upon the rules that were created to protect students and the public? I believe it is asinine that the University allows this phenomenon to occur throughout each semester on campus. Through another perspective, one can even speculate that the campus incentivizes the use of smoking in places that they prohibit. After walking around campus, I began to notice the placement of garbage cans with ash trays on top. To my surprise, many of them stand directly adjacent to doorways and main entrances of popular buildings. Naturally, students are going to stay relatively near the building they are about to enter for class, especially if there is a conveniently placed ash tray at the door. Besides the ash trays placed outside classrooms, they are also found near or outside every dorm hall. Around Simmons Hall in South, the dorm I reside, these ash tray garbage cans are located at every entrance to the building. It is hard enough to avoid second hand smoke while traveling to class, and is even more difficult to avoid when someone is smoking in a site where it should be prohibitively enforced. Furthermore, many universities around the globe have begun to permanently ban the use of tobacco on campus. According to the Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, as of early April, 2015, the most recent data shows that there are currently 1,543 smoke free campuses, and of those schools, 1,043 of them are completely tobacco free. The amount of campuses around the world adopting the policy is quite significant, and the number of universities converting to a non-smoking policy grows vaster each year. I believe it is time for Penn State to also espouse such a policy, especially with the enormous amount of students that go to the school. According to the most recent survey conducted by Penn State Pulse Division of Student Affairs, 64.9% support a campus-wide ban on smoking and 74.3% support a state-wide, comprehensive ban on smoking. With more than half the campus in agreement to the banishment of smoking, increased smoking bans should be implemented to protect the welfare of all students, smokers and nonsmokers alike. |