Following the smoking ban taskforce’s recommendation, President Jane Close Conoley announced that California State University, Long Beach will be going tobacco free starting fall 2016.
The new smoking ban will encompass all smoking and consumption of tobacco, including cigarettes, vaping and chewing tobacco.
“That’s bullsh-t,” biology major Veronica Arvoues said. “This is a public university. As long as we keep it to restricted areas, it should be fine. We are adults and we can make our own decisions.”
In the California State University system, seven schools have designated smoking locations, nine require smokers to be 20 feet or more away from building entrances and six campuses are smoke and/or tobacco free entirely.
“My goal is not to punish smoking, a very powerful addiction, but to offer help to those trying to quit,” Conoley said in a press release. “Research demonstrates the adverse health effects of smoking on both users and bystanders. The Breathe Campaign sends an affirmative reminder that everyone’s health depends on each of us.”
CSULB has an Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs program through Student Health Services to help students quit smoking and kick other substance dependencies.
“I think it’s going to be a drastic change,” senior English major Sabrina Burns said. “We do have a lot of people who do and don’t smoke on campus… It’s going to be an inconvenience to have to go off campus on breaks to smoke.”
The university launched the Breathe campaign and website to educate the campus on “health risks of tobacco use and exposure to smoke, including vapor” in preparation of the impending tobacco ban, according to the press release.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s report attributed 480,000 deaths annually to tobacco-related complications. The report also links diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, atherosclerosis and 12 types of cancer to tobacco consumption.
The current smoking policy on campus is in accordance to California Assembly Bill 846, banning smoking within 20 feet of any building on campus.