Tobacco Free Campus Implications

Currently, Concord University does not have a tobacco free campus. Last semester, a survey and other initiatives brought to head a five-year-long debate between students, staff, and administration, or so the Concord University Student Activities Committee believed.

    On Feb. 8, 2017, the survey sent out to the entire campus yielded 510 responses, 284 of which were yeses in favor of a tobacco free campus. A reported 145 said, “no,” and 81 said, “it doesn’t matter.”

    Groups were also surveyed separately after the survey yielded an overwhelming number of responses. Other surveys sent out to campus, most of the time, are lucky if they inspire more than a hundred. These groups included faculty, students, administration, and others. Each group voted two-thirds in favor of a tobacco free campus by themselves. This means that overall, the campus voted two-thirds in favor of a tobacco free campus, and then each individual group on campus also voted two-thirds in favor.

    When the proposition was brought to the Student Government Association, the student representatives debated it but then also proceeded to vote two-thirds in favor of the initiative. It was then brought to the Board of Governors, and then to the President’s cabinet. It has stopped there. Vice President of Administration and Associate Dean of Students Rick Dillon told the Concordian late last semester that a decision might not be made on the subject over the course of this fall semester.

    One noticeable impact of the implementation of a tobacco free campus policy would be on enrollment. As it stands, Concord University is one of the only tobacco friendly campuses left in West Virginia. Concord administration does not want to make the change drastically, according to Dillon. The best-case scenario for Concord would be to integrate tobacco cessation programs and do the change gradually. One consideration, however, is that West Virginia University did this entire process back in 2012.

    At that time, this initiative was even closer in time to when lots of campuses were beginning their tobacco free initiatives. If the programs were largely successful in 2012, then surely, they would be able to work in 2017.

    While this is true, Concord University is a rather small campus. If Concord wished to be completely tobacco free, there should be some accommodation at least for the survey responders that were indifferent or those who voted ‘no.’ There are too few places to designate as smoker friendly without inevitably running into nonsmokers.

    One suggestion for smoker friendly areas included the gazebos, but several students in the SGA meeting alone said that they enjoyed hanging out in those places and did not want them to be taken over by smokers. This is ridiculous because, as it is, there are cigarette disposal stacks situated in the gazebos. Furthermore, smokers already situated in the dormitories would have to walk several yards to smoke.

    Since WVU has had their policy in place since 2012 (the policy is readily available on their Board of Governors website in clear language), prospective students know to expect this type of environment; however, those enrolling at Concord have no clue when these policies they wish to implement will go into effect.

    In addition to all of these considerations, the direction of this initiative is disturbing. The campus response was two-thirds positive for this initiative. If this survey and the actions of the student body, including SGA executives, cannot bring about change on campus, then it will discourage students from taking action in the future regarding other concerns.