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| USC Upstate to go smoke-free on its entire campus this fall |
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Aug 21, 2008 |
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Spartanburg Herald Journal: By Gary Glancy, gary.glancy@shj.com
Poof! The University of South Carolina Upstate is stamping out tobacco use on its entire campus.
The tobacco-free policy will take effect Nov. 20, the day of the nationwide Great American Smokeout. The date also coincides closely with the full opening of the Health Education Complex, which will house a new wellness center and serve as a landmark for the university's Healthy Upstate Carolina initiative.
"We think as a university, we have an opportunity to take a major step by declaring the campus a smoke-free zone," USC Upstate Chancellor John Stockwell said, "and that's what we're doing. Other entities in the county have taken this step, including Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and we think it's time."
Stockwell made the announcement Wednesday morning to more than 400 faculty, staff and students, "and there was a huge round of applause across the room," Stockwell said.
He added that the policy was approved last year by governing bodies of all three groups, as well as the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education.
"So it's got universal support by the (three) groups on the campus," Stockwell said, "and I think broad popular support as well."
USC Upstate sophomore Kaitlin Elmore is one.
"I'm allergic to (cigarette smoke)," she said, "so I'm really happy. I hate smoke."
Not all agreed, however. Sophomore Austin Wilt, who is a smoker, said he believes that personal health is an individual choice, and the policy infringes on the freedoms of smokers on campus.
"I think it's kind of stupid," Wilt said, "because a lot of people around here smoke, and I mean, they have ash trays everywhere. So I think, instead of banning smoking, they should just put out more ash trays and people wouldn't put their cigarette butts everywhere. And most of the campus is a really open campus. So if you're walking around and someone is smoking a cigarette, you walk three feet to your left and it's not going to bother you."
The new policy calls for a ban on the use, sale and distribution of all tobacco products anywhere on campus, except inside a non-university owned vehicle. This includes USC Upstate in Greenville, the Community Education & Outreach Center (CEOC) and any other current or future USC Upstate-owned or leased properties.
The current policy bans smoking inside all buildings and in outside areas within close proximity of those buildings.
Each campus in the USC system establishes its own tobacco policy. USC in Columbia bans smoking inside all buildings and within 25 feet of buildings outside.
Near the USC Upstate Campus Life Center, a bench across the street from the Palmetto House freshman dormitory building serves as a popular smoking hangout. But not for long.
"Last year when I was in the dorms, they'd be out there smoking on the bench all the time," Elmore said.
Enforcement of the policy will fall on various authorities depending on the location of the violation, including: supervisors of faculty and staff; the Office of Housing and Residential Life for inside and immediately around the residence hall areas; the athletic director for violations by student-athletes; the dean of students for all other areas of the university community; and the Office of Special Events for any visitors utilizing campus facilities for special events.
"I really don't think it's going to work," Wilt said.
"There's a lot of smokers here, and they put no smoking signs everywhere and people still smoke. So unless they start handing out tickets, I really don't think it's going to do anything."
The university has set up a Web site (www.uscupstate.edu/smokefree/default.aspx?id=18746) detailing its new policy, answering frequently asked questions and listing resources for those who want to quit smoking. |
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