Tobacco Free Initiative Still Under Deliberation

Recently, the faculty, staff, and students of Concord University responded to a survey regarding the possibility of a tobacco free campus. On February 8, the Student Government Organization voted two-thirds in favor of this initiative as a follow up to the positive response to the survey. In fact, the survey drew an overwhelmingly impressive response compared to other circulated surveys. 

    According to Sarah Fancher, Vice President of SGA and chair of CUSAC, the survey came back with 510 responses. 284 of these responses were positive, while 145 said ‘no’ and 81 said ‘it doesn’t matter.’ As of today, classified staff, faculty senate, the student body, and SGA have voted on the proposal, and it is now being deliberated among the members of the President’s cabinet. 

    One concern among the members of SGA is the fact that most colleges and universities in West Virginia are already tobacco free. Fancher stated that the attempt to make Concord University also a part of these colleges and universities has been ongoing, having started approximately five years ago. However, according to Rick Dillon, Vice President of Administration and member of the President’s cabinet, an immediate change is not the best policy when it comes to this decision. “We are working our way towards a no-smoking policy on campus. I think we intend to institute a smoking cessation program…that would go along with that. I think we would like to institute education along with the ban. Now in the meantime what we may do is more strictly limit where people can smoke, than it even is now, smoking areas temporarily, getting smoking cessation education, and working towards that policy.”

    Concord University, at this point in time, already exceeds the Mercer county laws as far as the distance from any entrance a smoker is permitted to smoke. A major concern as the proposition is deliberated amongst the cabinet members, according to Dillon, is that any action will alienate students. If a ban is put in place, the decision will alienate those 81 students that responded ‘no’ to the survey, and the many more smokers that did not respond to the survey. The decision is a tricky one. “I don’t know that we’re going to know the answers to those questions. Sooner than later, we’re really thinking of making the campus smoke free and we want to incorporate education with that and we want to begin moving in that direction. You want to do education while you do that and you want to recognize that it matters to at least a third of the population that you’re taking these rights away and we have to say ‘We understand that…we understand it from your perspective.’” 

    The cabinet also is currently taking into account that, while the idea of a tobacco free campus is appealing to those who voted ‘yes,’ someone will still have to enforce the ban. “The RAs, by student handbook, are only allowed to enforce policy in and around resident halls. They can’t enforce policy in the administration building. Do we want our lone police officer who’s working the four to twelve shift enforcing smoking policy? One challenge only presents another challenge.”

    At this point in time, the cabinet will not release an official decision on the subject this semester. Dillon perceives it will be in the near future, but certainly “not tomorrow, and not next semester.” With the smoking cessation education they wish to implement, it will be a process and will take time to organize and implement.