By Jennifer Hand
Staff Writer

A student enjoys a cigarette on campus.

On Thursday, the first meeting of FSU’s committee to explore the possibility of adopting a smoke-free policy was held in the 1839 room.

Students and faculty discussed the pros and cons of adopting a smoke-free air policy, and whether that would affect smokers’ decisions whether to attend FSU.

Currently, Rita Colucci, chief of staff and general counsel, is comprising a survey to be handed out to students along with teacher evaluations at the end of the semester.

Campuses with 100 percent smoke-free air policies have zero tolerance for smoking anywhere indoors or outdoors on campus grounds, and such policies are becoming more common.

This fall, Bridgewater State University was added to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation’s (ANRF) list of eight colleges and universities in Massachusetts with 100 percent smoke-free air policies.

The other seven schools in Massachusetts with these policies are Salem State University, UMass Amherst, UMass Medical School, Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Bristol, Cape Cod and North Shore community colleges.

According to the ANRF, as of Oct. 7, 2011, there were at least 586 smoke-free campuses in the United States.

The current FSU smoking policy is based on the Massachusetts Smoke-Free Work Place Law and the guidelines of the Town of Framingham’s Board of Health. The Massachusetts Smoke-Free Work Place Law is in place to protect workers from secondhand smoke and the health risks that come along with it. It became effective on July 5, 2004, and it does not allow anyone to smoke inside a workplace. Under this law, people may only smoke in specified outdoor areas.

The guidelines set by the Town of Framingham’s Board of Health state, “The use of tobacco in a room under the control of a public or private employer, which employees frequent during the course of employment, including, but not limited to, work areas, employee lounges and restrooms, conference rooms and hallways” are prohibited.

It is the responsibility of the employer to post “No Smoking” signs or the “No Smoking” symbol – a burning cigarette in a red circle with a red bar across it – in all non-smoking areas around the workplace. In the Town of Framingham any individual smoking in an area with a “No Smoking” sign will receive a fine of $50 for each offense.

Local governments can choose to regulate smoking policies more strictly than the state does, which gives FSU the ability to adopt a smoke-free air policy. “There has not been a huge demand for it, or at least a vocal demand for it,” Colucci said, adding that she still would not put it outside the realm of possibility for FSU.

The Town of Framingham has already implemented a stricter smoking policy than the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For example, in Massachusetts, the law states an individual must be 10 feet away from a building if he or she wishes to smoke. Framingham has added 20 feet to this policy, stating anyone wishing to smoke must be at least 30 feet away from a building.

Health Center Director Ilene Hofrenning said, “The Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. I don’t think the current policy of ‘No smoking within 30 feet of an entrance’ is working. It’s hard to know exactly where 30 feet is, and smokers sometimes gravitate toward an entrance, especially if it’s cold outside.”

The FSU policy defines smoking as the burning of a cigar, cigarette, pipe or other smoking material. Members of the FSU community can’t smoke in any university building or facility. They also may not smoke 30 feet from any university building or facility entrance, exit or window. Covered buildings, facility overhangs, university-owned vehicles, indoor and outdoor athletic areas, residence hall common areas, hallways, stairwells, lobbies and the quad between Dwight, Hemenway and Crocker halls are also off limits for smoking.

According to the FSU website, people are allowed to smoke 30 feet from a building or facility entrance or exit if it is away from windows and not in the quad. They can also smoke in non-university owned personal vehicles in designated areas throughout campus, where fireproof receptacles are in place.

Susan Enright, a sophomore elementary education major, said the issue is staff does not adequately monitor designated smoking areas. “I don’t personally smoke, but I think that people should enforce the rules of where others can and cannot smoke, so it is more considerate of those who don’t.”

Hofrenning said, “One of the ideas that came out of the forum we had last spring on a chemical-free, fragrance-free and tobacco-free campus was to designate certain places on campus where smoking would be allowed which would be away from nonsmokers. If becoming a smoke-free campus is not possible, this would be a good alternative.”

John Despres, a sophomore business major, agreed with this alternative. “At prep school, there was this thing called a butt hut. That’s where you went so not everyone had to smell your smoke around campus. Give the kids a butt hut. Let everyone go to one place, and have a little tobacco party.”

Colucci said it is hard to limit smoking to selected areas on campus, and it would be just as tough to try to eliminate smoking on campus altogether.

“Neither is an easy task, and both are difficult to enforce. Smokers need to self-regulate, whether it is around smoking in a designated area, or not smoking on campus at all.” Colucci added that the committee forming to discuss the possibility of the campus becoming tobacco-free in the future would “love to have a lot of student participation.”

Courtney Durant, an undeclared sophomore, said, “I think FSU should consider going smoke-free. I transferred here this fall and my other school was. It was nice to be walking around with no one huddled outside smoking by the door you need to walk through to get to class.”

Ony Ramos, a freshman criminology major, disagreed, saying, “I don’t believe FSU should become smoke-free. For many students, that’s their way of dealing with the stress going on in school.”

Susanna Shen, a sophomore English major, said, “I do not care too much if the school is smoke-free or not, because I do not smoke. When I see people smoking, I simply pass around them. It’s not going to affect me.”

Deanna Moore, a sophomore business major, does not think it would be fair for FSU to adopt a smoke-free air policy. “Some of my friends smoke, and even though I do not, I would not want them to suffer. They are often respectful and do not smoke in front of other people.”

Devin Cahalane, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, said, “I think the only thing that would affect me about the school becoming smoke free would be hearing all the complaints from people who do smoke.”

Hofrenning said, “Change is hard, but it eventually becomes a part of the culture on campus.”

Colucci said the questions are, “What is our culture, and what do we want it to be?”