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Associated Students Votes For Smoke-Free Campus

The Associated Students approved a resolution Monday to make PCC a "smoke-free campus with designated smoking areas."
AS Vice President of Student Affairs Mazen Ali was the only member to vote against the resolution, saying he was concerned about a number of issues.
Timeliness was one of his concerns.
"We had no time to debate about the resolution, and all members weren't even present at the meeting," said Ali.
His biggest problem with the resolution, however, was the potential inability to enforce restricting smoking to designated areas.
"We couldn't even enforce the law against smoking within 20 feet of buildings. I don't think we will be able to enforce walking to a designated area to smoke," said Ali.
The idea for the resolution came about when AS President Christina Javier was requested by the College Coordinating Council to inquire whether students would support this new policy.
"I based my support for the resolution on a survey of students and other constituents," said Javier.
Lodestar Management/Research Inc. conducted a survey asking PCC students, faculty and staff to rate, on a scale of one-to-five, how much on-campus smoking bothered them. The survey found the majority of the students were peeved by smoking on campus in some way, shape or form.
Although Javier eventually used the survey to make her final decision, she still shared her personal opinion on the smoking issue.
"I am not a smoker. My personal opinion is that smoking on campus is a health concern for non-smokers and that it takes away from the campus environment, because of air pollution and littering.
However, I do not think that my personal opinions on smoking would be enough for me to support moving toward a smoke-free campus with designated smoking areas," said Javier.
What the AS proposes would not completely eliminate cigarette smoke at PCC, but would permit it only in certain areas of the campus. Only six California community colleges are 100 percent smoke free.
AS Student Trustee John Campo said, "We didn't support a completely smoke-free campus because many students and faculty smoke, and we didn't want to unnecessarily take away their rights.
The constituent groups supported restricted smoking areas, and AS had the same feelings."
PCC was not the first school to ponder the restriction of on-campus smoking to designated areas; it would join 36 other community colleges in California who already have such a regulation.
It is unclear as to why the school had not acted on this particular policy earlier.
The last smoking regulation added by PCC was in 2003, referring to a California state code, which prohibited smoking within 20 feet of exits and entrances of buildings.
Javier could only conclude that, "Part of the reason the Coordinating Council wanted to see this happen on our campus was to follow the lead of both the city, as well as other community colleges."
In the past year, the city of Pasadena has placed a muzzle on smoking by enforcing fines up to $500 for smoking in shopping and dining areas, in ATM and movie ticket lines, and at outdoor events like the Rose Parade.
The AS resolution will be a component of a presentation on the newly proposed smoking policy. The presentation of the policy will be discussed at a CCC meeting on March 25.
If approved by the CCC, the next step will be a presentation to the Board of Trustees on May 27.