Metro prof proposes campus smoking ban
by Clayton Woullard
The Metropolitan
 Sarah Mahana / The Metropolitan
CCD student Jane Miyata does some homework outside while smoking a cigarette. Metro professor Larry Lopez has proposed a campus-wide smoking ban, because, according to him, smokers have been ignoring the signs that ask them to stay 20 feet away from buildings while smoking.
Signs
warning smokers to stay 20 feet away from building entrances on campus
are continually ignored and Larry Lopez is fed up.
Lopez, a Metro management professor, Auraria Higher Education Center
board member and smoker, said he’s heard many people complain about
having to hold their breath when they walk into campus buildings because
of smokers standing right by the entrances.
Two months ago during an AHEC board meeting, Lopez proposed a campus-wide
smoking ban to battle this all-too-common problem.
“It’s a nuisance. It’s a health problem,” he
said. “I get home and my clothes smell like cigarette smoke if I
have to walk in and out of it constantly.”
Lopez said he proposed the ban because smokers on campus are not obeying
signs that say, “No Smoking Within 20 ft. of Building Entrance.”
When the AHEC board discussed it, he said there was some agreement and
disagreement and questioning of whether a complete ban on smoking would
work.
Lopez pointed out how most high schools across the country have campus-wide
smoking bans in place and said while one may not be successful on a campus
of more than 30,000 students, he said, frankly, it might be necessary.
“That may not be realistic but it’s something the smokers
are forcing us to look at,” he said. “It’s sad that
the inconsideration of the smokers is causing this problem.”
The proposal has been sent to both the Faculty and Student Advisory Committees
to the Auraria Board for their recommendation.
SACAB President and CCD student, Patrick Jiner said he personally feels
smoking on campus is no big problem as long as it’s done outside
and does not bother non-smokers.
“I think they should be able to smoke outside if it’s outside,”
Jiner said. “We just have to keep consideration for students going
into buildings who don’t want to breathe in all that smoke.”
At press time, Jiner said SACAB would get student input during a town
hall meeting-type forum Nov. 10 before the board made any recommendations.
UCD student and smoker EJ Milelli said he usually smokes in between classes,
and he only gets about 5-10 minutes to smoke.
“I think it’s a bad idea,” Milelli said of the proposed
ban. “I think it makes it a lot harder for students to smoke if
they have to go off campus.”
He said most of the “No Smoking” signs are located to close
to building entrances or just aren’t visible enough and that ashtrays
are right by the door. He said where the signs are most visible, people
don’t smoke near the buildings.
Lopez said he’s been told it’s a campus-wide problem, that
it doesn’t seem to matter how visible the signs are.
“For some, it’s very offensive and for others it’s
a health issue,” he said. “At a minimum, I’d like to
see us move the smoking areas completely away from the entrances to the
buildings.”
Milelli said he thinks the 20-foot restriction is a good rule to have
in place, but it would be helpful if the signs were put at the 20-foot
limit and said something like, “No Smoking Beyond This Point.”
Often, people may not smoke most of their cigarette right by a building
entrance, but may just be finishing off a cigarette as they walk in.
Jiner said he doesn’t think a campus-wide ban on smoking would
really be possible.
“There’s so many youth that smoke already,” he said.
“They’re outside already; what’s to keep them from smoking
outside?”
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