Smoked out

Despite a 2010 policy prohibiting smoking at MHCC, students can be seen all over campus lighting up.

May 13 of 2009 the MHCC Board voted unanimously to ban smoking on campus, the policy was set in place Jan. 2, 2010.

Director of Safety and Security Gale Blessing said, “At this point our focus is to remind folks of our policy.”

Blessing said that in order of importance the public safety department is concerned with medical emergencies, crime in progress, and then student complaints.

Blessing also said the opportunity to remind offenders of the rule, often works.

The Public Safety procedure for first time violators is to issue a written warning citation, second time violators receive a $15 citation and third time violators are to receive “disciplinary action.”

Lead Public Safety Officer Wayne Feagle said, “Smoking on campus is an isolated problem, and one particular challenge is by the time we reach a reported area where students are smoking the people are gone.”

Feagle also said of the area between the Trimet bus stop and the Public Safety office, “Many students think that area is off campus. To get people to stop smoking there we would have to have some standing out there all day.”
He said, “We repeatedly go out there due to student complaint.”

Since the beginning of fall term, 14 citations and four warnings have been issued, said Feagle.

Blessing said, “We focus on education more than issuing warnings, and we don’t track the warnings. It works really effectively.”

Blessing also said right now Public Safety has seven full time officers, five part time officers, and 13 campus watch student volunteers.

Our student volunteers don’t issue citations,” she said, “They are to educate smokers on the policy and report it to the Public Safety office. We encourage them to avoid confrontational situations, which is something the Gresham Police suggested we tell them for their safety. ”

Asked if she had been working with ASG on the campus-smoking problem Blessing said, “We (Public Safety) brought it up in a president’s cabinet meeting and reviewed some of the changed policies at PCC, who we modeled our policy after. We’ve also been discussing it with the safety committee but we would be glad to give another group a call. At this point the discussion has mostly been at the president’s level.”

Associated Student Government President Jaqueline Altamirano said, “We’ve been having a lot of students come in and complain about the smoking on campus.”

Altamirano said, “When people come to MHCC campus the first thing they see is smokers, and the second thing they see is cigarette butts.”

She said of the smoking ban, “It’s a difficult change because it’s so recent but the smoking on campus problem needs a big campaign to make sure it’s respected.

“I wasn’t here when they removed the kiosks but from what I’ve heard the designated smoking areas at least controlled the litter,” she said.

Altamirano said, after speaking with Director of Public Safety and Campus Sustainability Melani Snider, they agreed ASG would be willing to pay for trash receptacles and place them in high trafficked areas of campus frequented by smokers, if public safety agrees.

Due to neighbor complaints Portland Community College published a notice on their website Nov. 8 stating that they recently raised their fine for violating the campus-smoking ban from $25 to $50; those caught smoking in wooded areas are subject to fines of $75.

PCC mentioned in the notice that they refined their tobacco free policy in March 2011 to permit “Good Neighbor Zones” where smokers can gather to smoke and not be issued citations.

PCC’s designated Good Neighbor Zones are on the outer edges of their campuses and include shelter and trash cans for smokers.

The Nov. 8 notice from PCC Sylvania Campus said their personnel will clean the areas around Good Neighbor Zones twice a week.

Advocate Staff