On a typical day at Cal State Long Beach, a student can expect to see at least one person using an electronic cigarette or vaporizer.
According to University Police, some students have even been using e-cigarettes and vaporizers in hallways and classrooms.
The smoking policy on campus is modeled after Assembly Bill 846, according to the university website.
A 2003 CSU memorandum that discussed AB 846 did not mention the prohibition of e-cigarettes or vaporizers within 20 feet of buildings and windows.
Although neither product emits tobacco smoke, however, campus policy mandates that anyone using such devices be at least 20 feet away from building entrances and windows.
According to Dean of Students Jeff Klaus, e-cigarettes and vaporizers apply to the campus smoking policy because a federal agency classified them in the same category as traditional tobacco smoke.
Although we think that e-cigarettes and vaporizers are safe alternatives to traditional cigarettes, we believe that those who use them should adhere to the university’s smoking policy.
Because inhaling tobaccoless smoke may be unpleasant or even harm some students, we support the university for including e-cigarettes and vaporizers in the policy.
All types of smokers, however, should be respectful of their nonsmoking peers.
Those who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma could be adversely affected by inhaling vapors from e-cigarettes and vaporizers.
Ensuring that students adhere to the smoking policy is crucial to its success.
Like skateboarding on campus, we believe University Police should better enforce the campus smoking policy as it applies to both traditional smokers and vaporizer and e-cigarette users.
If University Police decide to crack down on e-cigarette and vaporizer users, they should first make the current smoking policy clear to students.
University Police should make clear how students will be disciplined for violating the smoking policy.
As of now, it’s unclear whether students who smoke in prohibited areas will be warned or cited for violating the policy.
What’s the point of including e-cigarettes when it seems that there aren’t any increased attempts to enforce the ban?
If the smoking policy isn’t enforced, smokers will continue to ignore it.
Doesn’t that defeat the policy’s purpose?
For progress to be made, the university must be willing to back up its policy.