Correction appended
Last night, an Undergraduate Senate joint committee passed a bill that would restrict people from smoking too close to buildings, but would not create a campus-wide smoking ban.
The entire senate will vote on the bill at their Sunday meeting, which is open to the public.
This bill would include a "smoke-free courtesy zone" in the Student Handbook, which would restrict students from smoking in the entrances and exits of all buildings, at shuttle bus stops and in densely populated outdoor events and evacuations.
The bill also calls for the university to post signs denoting the courtesy zones, construct cigarette receptacles and build smoking shelters for students to use during inclement weather. The bill also calls for a campus-wide awareness campaign to inform students of the dangers of secondhand smoke and encourage students to respect others when smoking.
The senate referred "A Bill to Protect Health of the AU Community and Foster Understanding" to the Joint Committee of Students' Rights and Campus Life and Programming at their Jan. 27 meeting.
Class of 2011 Senator and The Eagle photographer Nick Troiano, Class of 2010 Senator Andrew Woods, Class of 2009 Senator Jason Cunningham and Class of 2011 Senator Liz Goc sponsored the bill.
One of the bill's amendments would establish a Public Safety hotline number for students to call if students continue smoking after being asked to stop.
The bill originated after students contacted Student Government President Joe Vidulich about secondhand smoke exposure on campus. Vidulich said he discussed the issue with President Neil Kerwin last fall. Kerwin indicated he was open to enacting a campus-wide smoking policy, Vidulich said.
The SG held a forum and a survey last semester to gauge students' views on a campus-wide smoking policy. Students complained about being exposed to secondhand smoke in their rooms from smokers outside the residence halls and while entering and exiting buildings, Troiano said.
The courtesy campaign proposed in the bill would be similar to the CIVITAS campaign and would use advertising to encourage students to speak to students who are smoking, Cunningham said.
The proposed smoking policy would likely be included in the Student Handbook and addressed in the Student Conduct Code. In section IV of the code, Public Safety and Judicial Affairs and Mediations Services have jurisdiction over violations to published university policies, Vidulich said.
Vidulich said he would veto "any proposed solution that creates the possibility of sanctions of any kind, except for those people who smoke directly in the entrance way of buildings."
Brandi Mirzakhani, a senator in the College of Arts and Science, said the SG doesn't have to "baby" students with rules.
"We're adults now," she said. "It's not that big of a deal to ask someone to stop smoking if they are bothering you."
Erica Goldfine, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said students should take responsibility.
"I think they should try a courtesy campaign before writing laws," she said.
Jessica Perrigan, a junior in CAS, said she supported the courtesy policy.
"I think anyone who smokes would willingly move if asked politely," Perrigan said. "But a blanket ban on smoking near entrances seems unnecessary. I have doubts about [the policy's] implementation."
Billy Hamilton, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said he opposes the enforcement proposal.
"I would be more responsive to [non-smokers'] concerns and conscious about my smoking habits if someone approached me rather than having my wrist slapped with a ruler by AU Student Government," Hamilton said in an e-mail.
Sunday's senate meeting will be at 2:30 in Kogod School of Business, room 118.
Correction: In "SG considers smoking rules," the article said that the new bill would create a new, special Public Safety smoking hotline. The bill actually expands the non-emergency hotline to include smoking concerns.
