Smoking policy requires unity

November 5, 2007 —

It's been quite a journey getting there, but the seemingly impossible has finally occurred - SVSU has enacted a smoking policy that will please everyone. Ok, that probably isn't true, but this policy has a lot going for it. In the past couple months, two online forums and two live meetings were held to find a peaceful solution to the smoking problem that would please everyone. One forum alone brought forth over 400 comments from concerned SVSU students. The final policy keeps the non-smoke perimeter at 25 feet from all buildings, and added a smoking ban on all non-lettered lots and metered parking.

The SVSU faculty did an outstanding job of ensuring that the best possible solution was reached for all parties. Both students and faculty should be commended for their efforts and cooperation on this issue.

But I want to add a note of caution - let's not go too far. As with any emotionally charged debate, there is always a tendency to polarize the issues. And if one or both sides of the discussion become polarized, two things can happen: either one side eventually bullies their views into an official policy, or a deadlock is reached. Thankfully, in this case, we avoided a long-term deadlock and reached a fair conclusion. But I don't think everyone is happy yet, and I'm afraid that the non-smoking majority is going to push for an outright ban of smoking on campus.

I would like to think that SVSU is tolerant enough to realize how selfish and close-minded a total ban on smoking would be. Delta College has already enacted a policy that bans smoking on all of its grounds, except in cars. I'm sure the policy was enacted with the best of intentions, but it is little more than spiteful to smokers.

Didn't anybody think how inconvenient and degrading it is to force a smoker to retreat to their car for a cigarette? Why couldn't they simply have set up smoke-free boundaries around the buildings so that no one would be forced to walk through a cloud of smoke? If such a rule could be enforced, then there shouldn't be any problem with smokers on campus. If the rules can't be enforced, then Delta needs to take a look at how it enforces its policies and keeps the unlawful minority from creating a bad image for the majority of smokers. And I don't think that a ban that forces smokers back to their car would be any easier to monitor and enforce than a building perimeter.

It's not hard to picture a similar situation developing on SVSU's campus. If enforcement (or lack thereof) of the new rules does not improve, the minority of smokers will continue to break the smoking boundaries. As a result, non-smoking students are going to continue to complain of 'smoke clouds' and cigarette butts by building entrances. If this happens, I don't think a total ban of smoking on campus will be far behind. Our current solution to the smoke problem was increasing the banned area - why won't the next step be an outright ban?

We need to avoid this solution at all costs. I haven't had a chance to talk to Delta College students to gauge their views on the new policy. But from what I've heard in our own debate, a total ban would only harbor resentment among the smokers on campus. And if the rules aren't strictly enforced, the non-smokers will never be happy with the policy.

SVSU's new smoking policy is the result of efforts of many SVSU faculty and students. We all need to work together to make it a success, and to avoid going the way of Delta. Let's prove that we can all live together peacefully. Let's prove that we're Something More, Something Better.