By Josselyn Berry, May 2010
Editor-in-chief

Photo by Morgan Jacobs

A possible smoking ban is currently being researched for implementation at all Maricopa County Community College campuses and district facilities. The ban, or tobacco- free initiative, was proposed by The District Wellness Committee in October 2006, right before Arizona passed into law the Smoke-Free Arizona legislation, which prohibits smoking in most public places.

According to Michele Hamm, coordinator of wellness education at Gateway Community College, the District Wellness Committee began conducting research in 2006. The committee talked to numerous organizations in the district such as EBAC, or Employee Benefits Advisory Committee and the vice presidents of administration at each MCCCD campus. The committee also talked with other schools and universities who have implemented a similar smoking regulation.

“It’s about a health threat, and it’s about the health and well-being of students and visitors,” Hamm says.

Earlier this March, Hamm and Teresa Toney, manager at the MCCCD Office of Public Stewardship, presented the initiative and the research to the district chancellor, Rufus Glasper, and to his Executive Council. Toney says the proposal will not be voted on, but will be accepted by the chancellor along with the opinion of the Executive Council.

A forum to gather MCCCD employees' input was also created to collect the general responses to the initiative. The employee forum was open from March 12 until April 2, but Hamm says they are still reviewing the responses and will not have a conclusion for some time.

Along with employee input, student focus groups are collecting surveys of student opinions toward the possible ban. Hamm says current smoking regulations need to be addressed as well. Although there are signs posted restricting smoking within 25 feet of an entrance, she says many campuses either don’t have smoking zones, or if they do, the zones are not always enforced.

“Not everyone has abided the restrictions…there’s no continuity or consistency,” Hamm says.

Paradise Valley Community College Student, Vanessa Brequez, is in favor of the proposed smoke-free initiative.

“People smoke everywhere on our campus….I don’t like that. I’m being forced to be around people smoking,” she says.

The proposal is still developing and requires further investigation concerning the impact on campuses. Charles Reinebold, media relations manager for MCCCD, says that since the initiative is still in the research stage, an official proposal will likely not be ready until fall.

Reinebold says, “We want to identify how and if this is something we can implement, so no decision has been made at this time.”

Concerning opposition or support of the tobacco-free initiative, Hamm says that there has been nothing in either direction, and they are encouraging bi-partisan discussion.

Opinions from students at PVCC