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OGDEN — Student government leaders at Weber State University will meet with administrators Friday to discuss making the school the first smoke-free public college campus in Utah.
"Students came to us complaining that they were tired of walking through smoke on their way to class," Brady Harris, vice chairman of WSU's Student Senate, said in a telephone interview Thursday.
Since then, student leaders have been researching policies and practices at other colleges and universities in the country. Some 381 colleges have campus-wide smoking bans, said Justin Neville, legislative vice president of Weber State University's Student Senate. Smoking is banned on the campuses of all public universities in Pennsylvania, he said.
Students came to us complaining that they were tired of walking through smoke on their way to class.
–Brady Harris
Neville said the Senate took up the issue because it was important to students. "My own personal feeling is it is incumbent on an institution of higher learning to be conscientious of the research that has gone into the effects of smoking and second-hand smoke and act according to that knowledge."
Student senator Ben Johns opposes the measure, largely because the campus does not enforce existing clean air laws.
"Honestly, a lot of people don't even know the current laws that have been enacted. By doing this (researching a policy) this is a good step because people can become more educated about the laws and tobacco," said Johns.
Johns, who is not a smoker, said he also has concerns about infringing upon students' choices. Many international students smoke and leveling a ban could be perceived as intolerance, Johns said. "I think it would be more fair to set aside a place for smokers on our campus."
Neville agrees that there are many questions about enforcing such a policy. "It's not about demonizing or vilifying those who choose to smoke. It's about enforcing the policy through education and encouraging mutual respect between smokers and nonsmokers."
Honestly, a lot of people don't even know the current laws that have been enacted. By doing this (researching a policy) this is a good step because people can become more educated about the laws and tobacco.
–Ben Johns
Harris said the proposal would need to be more complex than simply leveling a campuswide smoking ban. If the campus is committed to the health benefits of such a measure, it should also assist people who want to quit smoking, he said.
The Student Senate should vote on a resolution within the next two weeks, Neville said. Then the matter will go the administration for further consideration.
The proposal comes on the heels of the New York City Council voting 36-12 on Wednesday to ban outdoor smoking in the city's 1,700 parks and 14 miles of public beaches.
Backers of the New York City proposal were buoyed by a 2009 study that 57 percent of nonsmoking adult New Yorkers had elevated levels of a nicotine byproduct in their blood indicating recent exposure to cigarette smoke. The national average was 45 percent.
This expansion of smoking restrictions comes on top of the 2002 law that prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars.
In 2006, the Salt Lake City Council passed a ban of smoking in city parks, trails, public spaces and mass gatherings, although at the time, police Chief Chris Burbank said his force could not aggressively enforce the ordinance.
A number of Utah municipalities have since leveled outdoor smoking bans in public spaces including cemeteries.
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