Concerns include enforcement, campus safety, fairness
Students nearly filled the small section of the Russell House Ballroom partitioned off for a town hall–style forum on the Tobacco Free USC policy, which would completely ban all forms of tobacco from campus. Everything from cigarettes and cigars to hookah and chewing tobacco would be prohibited from all university grounds.
The panel — which consisted of a physician, representatives from Campus Wellness, Healthy Carolina Director Jessica Johnston and Capt. Eric Grabski of USC’s Division of Law Enforcement and Safety — focused largely on clarifying the policy to students and emphasizing smoking and tobacco-use cessation programs that would be offered at little to no cost to students, faculty and staff, according to Johnston.
Those who spoke at the event, cosponsored by Student Government and Healthy Carolina, voiced similar concerns. Many did not support the ban, and those who expressed support did not think it could feasibly be enforced.
“I could be sitting in the back of this room with my lip packed (with chewing tobacco) and a cup,” third-year psychology student Peter Kahl said. “I could dip very discreetly and not bother anyone.”
Kahl also asked how students could expect the blanket ban to be enforced if the current policy was not easily enforced. Other students noted that many of their peers smoked right outside of classroom buildings and were not told to move or put out their cigarettes.
SG treasurer candidate Brandon White, while voicing support for the ban, questioned enforcement, citing problems with suppressing underage drinking on campus and drinking in residence halls.
Members of the panel discussed a “peer enforcement” system that could possibly spawn a website that would allow students to report people they see smoking or otherwise using tobacco on campus. Another possibility is police enforcement; officers could ticket smokers and even refer students to the Office of Student Conduct.
Grabski, however, wanted to focus on the positives of turning USC’s campus tobacco-free.
“This isn’t an ‘us and them’ thing. This is an ‘us’ thing,” Grabski said. “When you think of the word ‘enforcement,’ you think, ‘There’s the smoking police. They’re waiting around the corner to come get me.’ We don’t want that.”
Besides White, many candidates for executive SG positions, as well as current and past members of SG attended the forum. Presidential candidate Chase Mizzell, treasurer candidate Haley Guyton and vice presidential candidates Courtland Thomas and Will Fortanbary all sat in the audience along with current Student Body President Kenny Tracy and former Student Body Vice President Emily Saleeby.
Despite student skepticism, Johnston said the current policy is working, though results are slow-coming. Since the implementation of the “25-foot rule,” which states that smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of a doorway, the percentage of students who smoke has steadily decreased, she said.
Students were also concerned about the ban prohibiting tobacco products that do not affect others. Chewing tobacco and electronic cigarettes, while still containing many of the same ingredients as cigarettes, do not produce an easily detected odor or secondhand smoke but would still be banned under Tobacco Free USC.
While no definitive answers were given at Monday’s forum, suggestions were made by concerned students, and panelists said they would listen.
“This policy is not set,” Grabski said. “We are very interested in hearing your opinions and your ideas.”