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Students have mixed feelings about campus-wide smoking ban

The fate of smoking on Cal State Long Beach’s campus is now in the hands of the student body after the Associated Students Inc. Senate passed a resolution to place a referendum on the spring ballot at last week’s ASI meeting.

The outcome of the students’ vote will send a message to President F. King Alexander, according to author of the resolution Senator Manuel Nieto. Administration could then change the on campus smoking policy, if it chooses to adhere to the students’ vote.

Some students are completely against the ban.

Junior art history major Vanessa Bumbarger said she is shocked that CSULB would even consider the ban and will definitely vote against it.

“This would limit freedom of choice,” Bumbarger said. “Many people are addicted to nicotine, and it’s wrong to push them into alleys or fine them for smoking.”

Junior engineering major Trevor Robles said he will not vote in favor of the smoking ban.

“I don’t smoke but I just feel bad telling people what to do in America – a country of freedom,” Robles said.

Senior communications major Juan Carlos Pereyra said he smokes every now and again to deal with stress.

“It would suck if I had to go all the way off-campus just to have a quick smoke in between classes,” Pereyra said.

However, there are some students in favor of the total ban of smoking on campus.

Junior communications major Shelby Reynolds said she has asthma, so she hates when people smoke around her.

“Not only do I absolutely hate the smell of cigarette smoke,” Reynolds said. “I feel like I can’t breathe when I unwillingly inhale a cloud of smoke on my way to class early in the morning. It’s not a great way to start the day.”

Many other students say they won’t vote to ban smoking but that they would like to see some changes made to the current smoking policy.

Freshman pre-nursing major Adriana Brewer said she really doesn’t like it when she’s walking to class and people are just puffing away without regard for others.

“I hate when smoke gets blown in my face, and it happens more often than I’d like to admit,” Brewer said. “It would be better if there were more designated smoking areas and they were clearly marked.”

Sophomore nutrition and dietetics major, Alexandra Martinez, said there were other solutions to the smoking complaints on campus.

“I believe there should also be non-smoking areas on campus that are clearly marked,” Martinez said. She said is aware of the rules that prohibit smoking within 25-feet of doorways but that there should be additional areas on upper campus that ban smoking for those students who really can’t stand it.

Cal State Fullerton will become the first smoke-free Cal State University campus, beginning August 2013. All nine University of California campuses will also be smoke- and tobacco-free within the next two years.

 

 

 

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