Senate passes new anti-smoking ban

The College Senate's Student Health and Welfare Committee's proposal to ban smoking on campus overcame a hurdle at the College Senate meeting in May, being passed as a recommendation to the school administration.

The proposal was split into two parts, said William Raffel, vice chair of the College Senate. Part "A" dealt with whether or not the campus should enact a smoking ban, and part "B" dealt with whether the ban would be voluntary or mandatory.  The ban was passed, as well as making the ban mandatory.

The proposal being passed through College Senate does not mean it will be enacted by the administration, although most recommendations are, Raffel said.

"The senate makes policy recommendations, and it's up to the administration how they want to put it in place," he said.

There hasn't been an indication from the administration as to whether the ban will go into effect, said Sara Garfinkle, United Students Government president and chair of the Student Health and Welfare Committee.

"I don't know if the administration will put this into place," she said. "Only time can tell."

The ban is supported by survey information showing the majority of students, faculty and staff on campus support the proposal, Raffel said. Still, some senators in the College Senate had reservations, including Raffel. His problem wasn't so much with banning smoking, but the precedent being set.

"Where do you draw the line?" he said. "We just felt it was becoming too big brother-ish in some ways."

Other issues with the proposed ban center around enforcement. The University at Buffalo is a smoke-free campus and will likely be the model for a ban at Buffalo State. That doesn't mean the students there don't smoke, Raffel said.

"I was just there the other day using the library, and you see people outside smoking anyway," he said.

The administration expressed concerns about the effects of the ban on enrollment and may look at implementing of an anti-smoking educational campaign, instead of a mandatory ban on smoking, Raffel said.

Despite drawbacks, most students seem to support the ban. Senior elementary education major Frank Zawodzinski sees the ban passing through the College Senate as a move in the right direction.

"I feel this is a positive step for the Buffalo State community," he said. "It is for the betterment of Buffalo State from a health standpoint."

For Zawodzinski, improving the health of students should be the focal point of the ban.

"Even if (the ban) can change a few people, it's a win," he said.

Michael Canfield can be reached by email at canfield.record@live.com.