Last week, Georgia State’s University Senate discussed the progress of the Strategic Plan, the academic progress of student athletes and the upcoming centennial.
In new business, a motion from the Planning and Development Committee to approve a smoking/tobacco free campus policy was passed.
Smoking and tobacco use of any kind is now prohibited on Georgia State property. Smoking is limited to designated areas in University Housing. The motion states Georgia State has the right to discipline students for smoking, but “individuals observed smoking/using tobacco are to be reminded in a professional and courteous manner of this policy.”
Phang Tai, chair of the University Senate’s Planning and Development Committee said the hope is an “honor system” will hopefully be enough to deter students from violating the new policy.
Taylor Briggs, executive vice president of the SGA, said the student government voted in favor of the bill.
“I abstained because although I personally agree, I know many students do not so I felt as though my vote was torn,” Briggs sated in an email.
When asked if the SGA’s previous meeting with Dr. Douglass Covey, vice president for Student Affairs, on the smoking ban included a conversation about student response, Briggs stated, “with Dr. Covey we hadn’t really discussed student responses because it was implied that all the faculty and staff were for it and that it would be passing regardless.”
Covey was not available for comment at the time of publication.
Tai said he believes Georgia State’s community was represented and consulted when the original policy was drafted.
“However, over the years, I have heard from many students, as well as faculty and staff, the need of such policy since we all know the smoking is not only hazardous to one’s own health, but also affects the environment and people around: second-hand smoking is even worse,” Tai said.
For some students, like Dipan Patel, a smoker, the policy seemed fair.
“I’m okay with [the policy]. It would be nice to let people who do smoke do so in certain locations, but for those that don’t smoke, well, they can have fresh air,” said Patel.
While some smokers were fine with the policy and only wanted an area where they could smoke, many nonsmokers were against the policy, since the areas were outdoors, they felt it made sense to allow people to smoke there.
“I’m not a smoker, but I don’t think that it’s fair,” said Christina Collector “It’s outside. I think people should be able to what they want out here.”
