The effectiveness of USM’s tobacco policy at USM is being questioned after the University of Maine last week announced a plan to roll out an on-campus tobacco ban in 2011.
USM’s current smoking policy attempts to accommodate both smokers and non-smokers, while trying to accomplish “reduction of exposure to second-hand smoke, provide an environment supportive of tobacco-free lifestyles, reduce risk of accidental fire, and reduce the environmental impact of cigarette litter.” According to the handbook, people smoking cigarettes need to be 50 feet from any building to reduce smoke blowing into open windows. The policy also states that when, “smokers and non-smokers conflict, smoke-free air shall have priority.”
The state of Maine has made several laws that limit smoking areas around the state, including restaurants and parking lots. Maine has also put limitations on smoking in public places, such as permitting it only in designated smoking areas.
Suzanne Roy, the health promotion manager and member of the Smoking Policy Committee, is an avid supporter of the Tobacco-Free Campus Policy. “I am very pleased that UMO is leading the charge,” Roy said. She said she wants USM to make the transition from designated smoking areas to no smoking at all. Roy said that the committee understands that any addiction is hard to break, but thinks what UMO is trying to say is: “We understand that smoking is your right but, it’s costing us money and most people don’t want to breathe in smoke.”
“Secondhand smoke is the campus’s biggest concern even if it’s just outside,” said Bob Caswell, Director of Public Affairs. Craig Hutchinson, the vice president for student development, has been contacted several times about increased asthma attacks on campus because of smoke.
A 2008 survey done by American College Health Association conducted nationwide showed that students believed the perceived use of cigarettes by students was 60 percent more than actual use. The survey showed that cigarette smokers were in the minority with 16 percent while non-smoker were at 66 percent. Roy said that even though the number of smokers has gone down, second-hand smoke is still creating a problem. She added that the litter has become an issue, and that maintenance staff spends several hours each day picking up cigarette butts because the butt disposals are not being used.
“It probably takes one of us an hour or two every day, which is actually a fair amount of time,” said Eric Curry, a groundskeeper in Portland.
He said it’s not necessarily the cigarette butts that bother him, but the litter in general. “It’s borderline insulting to pick up someone else’s food,” said Curry. “We all basically take turns. It kinds of folds into everything else we do on a daily basis.”
“It’s pretty obvious there aren’t enough [butt cans]. We’ve actually fabricated a few of our own out of pipe,” said Curry. “We have absolutely no resources to implement the things we need to improve [the campus].”
As of now there are no formal proposals to create a tobacco-free campus, but the Dean of Student Life, Joe Austin, has had it brought to his attention according to Caswell. He said the motion won’t be passed without student input and campus community input.
Student body president, Maggie Guzman, said an issue like this would have to have a large student body initiative, though she does not see tobacco on campus as a big concern. “Personally, I’m a non smoker. I don’t like cigarette smoke but I don’t think it’s a huge concern here on campus. People are pretty respectful.”
The point of banning tobacco on campus is not to reproach people for smoking, but to ensure healthy living on campus said Roy. She said believes that students will understand if the case is made over and over. “Schools are promoting non-smoking — smoking isn’t cool anymore, and Maine is backing it.”