Several universities and colleges nationwide have either partially restricted or are moving toward banning smoking on campus. But, according to Dean of Students Thomas Pellegrino, Fairfield’s current smoking policy will not be altered.
“My area of involvement is largely over residence halls, and I think the most common issue I hear from students is in dealing with second hand smoke coming in from outside, particularly if the wind is blowing in a particular direction,” said Pellegrino. “Residence Life staff do a great job in letting students know of appropriate areas to go to.”
“Students also appropriately take it upon themselves to raise their concerns with their friends and classmates and resolve the issues in a mutually considerate and courteous manner,” he said.
Fairfield smokers will not need to worry too much about their rights since the University policy on smoking currently stands untouched, despite the changes seen in several other campuses across the nation. According to the University handbook, smoking is restricted in any and all buildings or facilities, while also expecting smokers to “be a reasonable distance from the buildings.”
The University of Iowa recently placed a “blanket smoking ban” to the areas of campus that hold its hospitals, in addition to adding another smoke-free block of campus.
“We have moved in this direction because all of our colleges have some sort of activity in the hospitals,” said James Merchant, UI’s head of its Health Science Policy Council. “Part of this is a smoking-cessation program.”
Syracuse University is also looking to enact a complete ban on smoking throughout its campus.
Though many doubt that a smoking ban will occur, other colleges such as George Washington University and Penn State University have taken advantage of designating “smoking areas” near places where road sweepers normally pass through and are out of range of the non-smokers.
The Undergraduate Life Committee of Princeton University, noted its “respect for individual rights to smoke but found this right did not outweigh the rights of others to be free of second-hand smoke.”
Princeton’s Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson said smoking had been a great concern due to a fire in 1993, which resulted in $350,000 in damage. Dickerson deferred to the American Civil Liberties Union, which supports the right of institutions to protect individuals from second-hand smoke.
“I’d throw a party. It would be beneficial for non-smokers who have to constantly be on guard [against second-hand smoke],” said Kristin Wingate ’10.
Samiah Leo-Pierre ’10 echoed anti-smoking sentiment.
“I don’t really like having tar in my lungs, so it would be great if they [Fairfield] banned it from campus,” said Leo-Pierre. “It’s disgusting.”
Not all non-smokers want to do away with smoking on campus, such as Paul Torres ’09, who feels compassion for those who wish to light up.
“As a former smoker, I feel that [a smoking ban] would be infringing on people’s right to smoke,” said Torres. “It would be good to have areas to smoke, but a ban would be going too far.”
Ronny Nunez ’09 said a smoking ban would be “a level below atrocity.”
“People should be free to do what they want,” he said. “Nobody is doing anything to accommodate smokers, everyone just tells them it’s bad because they’re easy targets.”
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