Administration debates smoking restrictions on campus
By Lauren Belcher | cbelcher@flagler.edu
Dean of Student Services Daniel Stewart made a special appearance at Student Government Association’s first meeting of the new semester to discuss plans for revising smoking restrictions on campus.
He and several other administrators, including Flagler College President William T. Abare, Jr., have discussed the smoking problem on campus and came up with a three-part amendment to the current policy.
According to Flagler’s Safety and Security policies the current smoking policy was enacted around the same time as the 1994 Florida Clean Air Act. “Flagler College prohibits smoking inside any campus building by employees, students or visitors. This ban includes but is not limited to: residence hall rooms, the dining room, snack bar, classrooms, corridors, restrooms, stairways, entry ways, laboratories, work shops, the library, and conference rooms. The smoking of clove or sage cigarettes on the campus is prohibited. Possession or use of a hookah on campus is also prohibited.”
Abare wanted Stewart to present the proposed smoking amendment to SGA to see the reaction from its members. There are three parts to the amendment: no chewing tobacco in any of the above mentioned buildings, no smoking in both breezeways from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and no smoking within 50 feet of the west entrance to Kenan Hall.
Stewart said these amendments are not set in stone, and were created by a subcommittee to the Staff Welfare Committee.
Audio of Dean Stewart’s Smoking Restriction Presentation to SGA with Q&A Session
RP you need to read a copy of the book “Please don’t poop in my salad”. It used to be available free online but I don’t think so anymore. Check the CB at the St. Augustine Tobacco Shop I know she has a copy. Great, interesting, non-biased book researched by a group that doesn’t have political aspirations.
Is it really that big of a deal? studies have should that the effects of second hand smoke are little to none. For example, a woman who lives with a smoker is only 1.19 times more likely to get lung caner or lung related diseases. The idea that second hand smoke could kill is abosolutely false.
Why ban chewing tobacco? How does the use of it infringe on anyone else but the user? It’s not like you can get second hand spit. This is just an example of the majority trying to shut down a minority. I dipped in almost all of my classes and never had an issue with either a teacher or a classmate.
Momentarily, there will be audio attached to this article of the exact conversation that SGA members had with Dean Stewart. We hope that this will help answer your questions.
-Gargoyle Staff
What about banning it in front of the library? Seems to me that’s one of the worst places to get bombarded. There’s only one way in and one way out and there is always a cloud of smoke at the door.
Smoking is disgusting, and should be banned altogether!