Presidents
choose new smoking policy
By Todd Leland
On-line Forty-Niner
Late
last week the California State University
system Board of Trustees and CSU Chancellor
Charles Reed passed an initiative to give
university presidents more authority in
an effort to control smoking on all 23 CSU
campuses.
“It used to be that the CSU Board of Trustees
set the regulations for the entire university
system,” said Cal State Long Beach President
Robert Maxson. “The initiative has now given
that authority to the campus presidents.”
Though the authority to change the smoking
policy goes into effect immediately, the
decision to revise the campus smoking policy
is not something Maxson will rush into.
“This is not an issue where President Maxson
will rush to judgement,” said Armando Contreras,
executive assistant to the president. “He
has a time frame and we expect to see the
revisions in place sometime in December
or January and in place before next semester.”
According to Contreras, Maxson will not
ban smoking outright.
“That is definitely not his style,” Contreras
said. “If you look at his track record I
expect him to deal with the situation by
emphasizing information and good will that
will lead to a balance between the rights
of smokers and non-smokers alike.”
The president in the coming weeks will be
convening with a committee chosen to help
aide him in his revision of the smoking
policy.
The committee will be comprised of Academic
Senate Chair Wayne Dick, Associated Students
Inc. President Danny Vivian and others that
will further represent the campus community.
Maxson himself sees great potential for
the revised smoking policy.
“What I want to see is a policy that will
protect the rights of non-smokers and a
policy that also protects the rights of
smokers as well,” said Maxson.
Maxson said he believes the revisions to
the smoking policy will entail greater distance
around university buildings and structures
and a complete ban of smoking in enclosed
spaces be them indoors or out.
“We need a policy that is in no way offensive
to smokers,” Maxson said. “But at the same
time gives non-smokers greater second hand
smoke defense.”
According to Maxson, his goal is to keep
smoking to a minimum near buildings and
structures on campus while making sure open
spaces are still available for his smoking
constituents.
CSULB students are divided as to whether
smoking on campus should be regulated at
all.
“I think it is great, I don’t smoke and
I really don’t like to have it around me,”
Miguel Gonzalez, a third year biochemistry
major said. “I eat lunch in places where
people are not supposed to smoke, but they
still do. I see it all the time.”
History major Cody Dunn, a non-smoker, has
different feelings about smoking and the
on-campus campaign to regulate it.
“Smoking is not illegal. As Americans it
is our right to be able to smoke wherever
and whenever we want,” Dunn said.
Whatever the students and university employees
feel, Maxson said he believes a middle ground
can be found and that a smoking policy beneficial
to all will be established.
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