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Smoking controversy still smoldering
SCSU is in the process of seeking further measures to make both smokers and non-smokers comfortable.
“It’s probably worse than it was a few months ago,” said Jim Williams, director of Buildings and Grounds.
Signs designating smoking areas around SCSU campus have not eliminated smoking near doorways and high traffic areas.
“It’s not a matter of signs, it’s a matter of people,” Williams said. “People have to be responsible for their behavior, and most smokers are — especially those people who work in the buildings.”
The effort to control smoking at SCSU is causing considerable controversy even though 38 schools in Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System have designated areas. Some only allow smoking behind buildings and others urge people not to smoke within 20-50 feet of doorways. Seven schools allow smoking everywhere and only two are completely non-smoking campuses.
“The people who walk to campus, going from building to building, those are the main problems,” Williams said. “The people who work in the buildings and go outside and smoke are not a problem because they dispense their cigarettes in the containers. They have designated areas that are far away from the doors, intake air-systems and places where their non-smoking peers would be.”
Smoking may be more difficult to deal with at SCSU because it is the second largest university in Minnesota. There are more buildings with designated areas and more students who need to be informed about using the areas.
The city streets that run through campus also make it difficult to regulate smoking areas.
“SCSU does not have jurisdiction over city streets and we cannot regulate smoking on public property,” Williams said.
At this point, the goal is to put up more signs designating smoking areas and proper receptacles for the disposal of cigarette butts. There are temporary receptacles currently in place.
However, according to Williams, signs and receptacles, as well as hiring people to clean them, are all costly.
“There’s not a budget for this thing,” Williams said. “We’re taking money from a source that we don’t have.”
Another concern is that with the coming winter, smokers will gravitate towards buildings for shelter from wind and snow.
“I think the new smoking rules are fair,” said Tamara Deppa, 21, who smokes. "But, there should be warm places where smokers can go also, instead of having to stand far away from the buildings and having to freeze."
Hennepin Technical College’s Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie campuses both have sheds for people to smoke in. However, that is not an option for SCSU.
“Smoking sheds are expensive and most of them are ugly on campus,” Williams said. “We don’t want to go to that extent right now unless we really have to.”
Some students may be wondering if SCSU will eventually become a non-smoking campus. For the moment, there are no plans to make the campus non-smoking. However, designated smoking and non-smoking areas — as well as limiting cigarette sales in Atwood — may make it more difficult for people to smoke.
“It shouldn’t be easy to smoke on campus,” said Vice President of Student Life and Development Nathan Church. “For lifelong education, it’s not healthy.”
The Atwood information desk will move to the new addition to Atwood once it is completed. Cigarettes and candy will not be sold at the information desk after it is relocated.
“We want to focus on providing information,” said Ed Bouffard, assistant director of Atwood.
The new convenience store location will be up for bid. It has yet to be decided if cigarettes will be sold at the convenience store after the move. According to Bouffard, bids for the convenience store area will be $9,000-$15,000 less if cigarettes cannot be sold there. That money would normally subsidize student activity fees.
“What you are doing is handing that money to the off-campus vendors,” Bouffard said.
Any new policies have to be within Minnesota state guidelines and pass through SCSU President’s Council.
‘We want to provide the best for both smokers and non-smokers,” Williams said.
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