GCSU may join smoke-free club

When students at GCSU need a cigarette, they walk a few feet out from any residence hall, classroom or on-campus apartment to light up.

But Student Government Association, with input from the staff’s council, is in the process of proposing to make GCSU a smoke free campus.

Other Georgia colleges, such as Darton State College, Gainesville State College, Georgia Highlands College and North Georgia College & State University all have smoke-free policies on their campuses. Depending on the upcoming vote, GCSU might follow in their footsteps.

“SGA has not made an official decision to go smoke free and will be posting online surveys on myCATS to allow students to vote on the issue,” said SGA president Ryan Greene, “There will be representative areas on campus for those who do smoke.”

As word of the possible change and upcoming poll spreads, students express different perspectives on this smoldering issue.

“SGA’s decision will represent that of the student body,” Greene said.

Some students express concern about a smoke-free policy affecting the decisions of possible applicants to GCSU.

“[Without smoking] the campus would be restricted,” said Stephanie Sorensen, a freshman non-smoker. “By banning smoking, GCSU would lose students and diversity.”

Some students find that the nicotine in cigarettes helps calm their nerves during stressful situations.

“Cigarettes help you relax,” sophomore smoker Patrick Burns said. “With the workload we have, like with work-study, we have the right to relax the way we want.”

Debates about the right to smoke appear often in conversation.
“It’s that person’s right,” said Stacy Troutt, a junior non-smoker, “even if I don’t like it.”

Other students with medical problems take a different stance on the smoking issue.

“With my sensitive asthma, I’d enjoy a smoke free campus,” said freshman Ellie Ebert.

Freshman Ryan Nichols watched his grandmother struggle with lung cancer during his childhood.

“Smoking is unhealthy, but it is a personal decision,” Nichols said.

In the upcoming weeks, students will be able to vote on the issue of smoking on campus.

“My vote depends on where the smoking areas are,” sophomore Justin Doll said. “Because if they are in common areas anyway, the adjustment wouldn’t do anything.”

Sophomore Mandy Labra said she will definitely vote.
“I don’t think it’s fair for people who do smoke,” Labra said. “We already cannot smoke in the buildings.”

To Burns, the right to smoke is a basic freedom present in a liberal arts education.

“As a liberal arts college,” Burns said, “we have many choices unavailable at other universities.”

The decision to make GCSU a smoke-free campus now lies not in rights but in ballots, which will be available for students both on myCATS and in print in a few weeks.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 5 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry