Manuel Veloria
During the Pierce College Academic Senate meeting on Oct. 22, members discussed new regulations to enforce smoking on campus.
The Academic Senate is proposing a new regulation that would make Pierce College a smoke-free campus.
“Smokers aren’t complying with the signs,” said Diane Levine, secretary of Academic Senate and professor of anthropology. “I always see smokers not smoking at the designated areas on campus. I always have to tell them that this area is smoke-free.”
As an increasing problem, the senate to device two new solutions to prevent smokers from disregarding designated areas. The solutions are: sheriff’s personnel will strictly enforce to ask smokers to leave the smoke-free premises or if caught in the act, the smokers will be cited for the violation.
Beth Benne, director of the student health center, seconded the motion to the enforcement and added another approach, “if we courteously approach smokers on campus to comply there might be some improvements.”
“Colleges such as College of the Canyons only allow smokers to smoke outside the campus. They can only smoke parking lots and not inside the vicinity of the campus,” explained Benne.
ASO (Associated Students Union) Tessa Moss added that they are trying to get students involved and said that there should be something done about the issue.
“We did a clean up on campus once, and you’ll be amazed on how many cigarette butts we collected,” said Moss.
“I always see smokers paying no attention to the signs and I always tell them that this isn’t a smoking area,” as Levine diligently gave the Senate a reason why smoking should be prohibited inside campus. “It’s distressing to those who don’t smoke.”
Seeing that the smoking on campus is a major problem, the senate all meticulously agreed that the smoking in campus should be enforced and making Pierce College smoke-free.
“This should be enforced,” as Levine eagerly pushed this proposal to senate.
Academic Senate will vote on the issue at its next meeting on Nov. 5