Campus law prohibiting smoking is poorly enforced, worth reconsideration

Did you know that Mt. Hood Community College is a “smoke-free” campus? The Advocate knows there are smokers among our readers, but do they even know that this is a smoke free campus?

Although this detail may be a surprise to some, the no-smoking policy has been in affect since Jan. 2, 2010, after the MHCC District board voted to ban smoking on campus on May 13, 2009.

By now, students must have noticed that with each day smoking has become more common on campus and smokers get bolder with each passing week, even with this “smoke-free” campus policy.

Of course, this is a free country and The Advocate more than supports students right to choose to smoke or not smoke. But perhaps the fact that rules and enforcement are a second thought means that some changes in policy are in order.

It’s completely understandable that some students may not want to be subjected to cigarette smoke. Secondhand smoke is a proven killer, and just the smell of cigarette smoke might be too much for some.

With the current state of things, it may be in MHCC’s interest to try to create a new policy that serves both smokers and non-smokers, or try reverting to some previous smoking policy that the campus has had.

Assign some designated areas for smoking, so smokers, rather than being banned from smoking all together, can have a place that they can go to and take a smoke break.

Students will be more likely to follow the rules in this case, as they won’t be told to take their smoking off campus altogether, but rather must travel a little ways to indulge in their habits.

Already we have seen that smokers, in attempts to evade detection from school officials, congregate to specific areas on campus where they smoke with their fellow smokers, so this idea becomes much more realistic.

But we also believe that if there are changes in the policy, it is important they be enforced. Public safety cares enough to ticket cars when they are without permits; why not protect all of us from irritable and dangerous cigarette smoke?

According to Lead Public Safety Officer Wayne Feagle, 14 citations and four warnings have been issued since the beginning of fall term.

If there are simply not enough public safety officers available to enforce such policies, maybe new hirings or more resources are in order or maybe make enforcing the smoking policy not as much as a second thought that is today.

Lastly, this is not meant as an attack on the conduct and effectiveness of public safety. Their job is not an easy one, and we appreciate the protection and other services that they provide. But maybe it’s time to walk the walk or make that walk more manageable.