No Smoking Policy at STLCC-Meramec
By: Collin Reischman
-Managing Editor-
Put out those cigarettes, boys and girls. Your friendly, neighborhood STLCC-Meramec campus is a non-smoking campus, as of August 17, 2009. New students, or old students returning, will no doubt be confounded by the “No Smoking” signs posted at all of the normal smoke spots.
“I think we’ve come up with something very good here. Impressions will be better, the campus will be cleaner and greener,” said Bonnie Sanguinet, former chairwoman of the Meramec Institutional Affairs Council.
The decision, which was a collaboration of representatives from the Meramec Academic Governance Council, Meramec Institutional Affairs Council, and Student Government Council, reached what was officially labeled as a “compromise” on the issue.
“I think [the three governance chairs] just did a really nice job in trying to find a compromise that gets us to an ultimate position, but also addresses some sort of short-term immediate needs in terms of freeing up the areas around the entrances of buildings,” said Stephen Petersen, Ed.d, then-vice president of student affairs.
This compromise was simple; the campus wouldn’t ban smoking entirely, but simply restrict any and all smoking to the parking lots on each end of the campus. All other smoking would be against school policy, and repeat offenses would garner “some kind of disciplinary procedures,” according to Campus Police Chief Paul Banta.
While faculty and staff members can occasionally be spotted politely requesting that students snub out their smokes, no long-term repercussions seem to exist. Campus police do not officially ticket an individual smoking on campus.
“Currently, we are treating it as a disciplinary matter, not a criminal matter,” said Banta.
Instead, the offender will be asked to leave the area or put out the cigarette, at which time they will resentfully obey.
The ban, which was largely championed by Margaret Hvatum of the Wellness Committee, is a response to health concerns of students with respiratory issues.
“Last year, I had three rounds of bronchitis and I ended up in the emergency room a couple of times with asthma. So I’m looking forward to having that not happen anymore,” said Hvatum.
According to a Montage article in March 2009, a major issue involved the air-intake systems of the Business and Social Science buildings “pulling in all of that smoke” into their ventilation systems, according to Stephen Petersen.
Those supporting the ban cited a survey circulated on campus in 2008-2009. This survey had more than 800 respondents, approximately half of which were students. The survey indicated that around half the respondents wanted to seem some kind of increased restriction on smoking.
“Had there not been any consensus, then that would have been the end of it,” said Hvatum.
While health-plagued individuals have argued that this shows “consensus of opinion” on the issue of smoking, the numbers don’t support that claim. According to STLCC enrollment numbers, approximately 10,000 students were enrolled at the Meramec campus in 2009. This means that the estimated 400-plus students responding to the survey represented less than 5 percent of the Meramec student body.
Whether a two-pack-a-day smoker or an asthma-riddled student, the smoking ban has been met with subdued campus reaction. Students can be seen attempting to slip to secluded alleys and corners for a quick smoke, but campus police have asked them to “take it to the parking lot.”
Small, circular cigarette burns in the No Smoking signs, and weak enforcement of the new ban make it a rule in name only. Smokers will be hassled a little more, and administrators get the “public health” victory they were looking for.
