Page
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Smoking.
      «
      efrom
      front
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “It
      remains
      to
      be
      seen
      how
     
     
      this
      policy
      will
      in
      fact
      be
      en-
     
     
      forced
      as
      there
      are
      no
      claus-
     
     
      es
      in
      this
      policy
      that
      explic-
     
     
      itly
      state
      the
      punishment
      for
     
     
      smoking
      too
      close
      to
      a
      build-
     
     
      ing.”
     
    

    
     
      But
      the
      topic
      of
      punish-
     
     
      ment
      has
      been
      close
      behind
     
     
      the
      potential
      new
      policy.
     
     
      How
      exactly
      will
      individuals
     
     
      who
      break
      any
      new
      restric-
     
     
      tions
      be
      punished?
      There
     
     
      has
      been
      discussion
      of
      fines,
     
     
      but
      a
      measly
      $10
      fine
      is
      not
     
     
      necessarily
      going
      to
      deter
     
     
      anyone
      from
      seeking
      shade
     
     
      and
      warmth
      at
      the
      side
      of
      a
     
     
      building.
     
    

    
     
      There
      have
      been
      many
     
     
      safety
      precautions
      discussed
     
     
      with
      any
      implementation
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sebastian
      Baglole
     
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Smoking
      |
      kills....especially
     
     
      when
      you
      have
      to
      stand
      30
     
     
      feet
      away
      from
      any
      building
     
     
      to
      do
      it.
     
    

    
     
      What’s
      the
      point
      having
      the
     
     
      Butt
      Stops
      when
      you
      got
      to
     
     
      run
      to
      the
      middle
      of
      cam-
     
     
      pus
      with
      plenty
      of
      breathing
     
     
      room,
      smoke
      for
      a
      few
      min-
     
     
      utes,
      and
      then
      beat
      it
      back
     
     
      to
      the
      Butt
      Stop
      to
      drop
      off
     
     
      your
      butt
      before
      it
      cauterizes
     
     
      your
      fingertips?
     
    

    
     
      Presumably,
      UPEI
      desires
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      new
      smoking
      by-laws.
     
     
      One
      problem
      discussed
      was
     
     
      where
      smokers
      would
      be
      ex-
     
     
      pected
      to
      go.
     
    

    
     
      If
      the
      campus
      were
      to
      go
     
     
      smoke-free,
      smokers
      may
     
     
      be
      obliged
      to
      go
      elsewhere
     
     
      close
      to
      campus,
      such
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sidewalks.
      But
      this
      raises
     
     
      more
      questions.
     
     
      Assuming
      students
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      forced
      to
      move
      close
      to
     
     
      streets,
      on
      weekends
      when
     
     
      Wave
      patrons
      go
      out
      for
      a
     
     
      cigarette
      they
      are
      in
      a
      haz-
     
     
      ardous
      situation,
      _
      specifi-
     
     
      cally
      because
      of
      cars
      on
      the
     
     
      frequently
      busy
      University
     
     
      Avenue,
      and
      the
      chance
      of
     
     
      sidewalks
      being
      slippery
      in
     
     
      the
      winter
      months.
     
    

    
     
      “This
      was
      a
      point
      raised
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Smokers
      feel
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      rip
      the
      joy
      out
      of
      smoking,
     
     
      taken
      by
      extremely
      small
     
     
      measures.
      We
      are
      still
      per-
     
     
      mitted
      to
      smoke
      on
      campus,
     
     
      small
      as
      we
      are.
      And
      yet
      the
     
     
      smoking
      policy
      which
      had
     
     
      been
      a
      required
      15
      feet
      away
     
     
      from
      any
      building,
      has
      now
     
     
      been
      extended
      to
      30
      feet.
     
     
      And
      yet
      how
      can
      the
      offi-
     
     
      cials
      enforce
      this?
      Who
      has
     
     
      the
      power?
      Maybe
      they
      think
     
     
      smokers
      can’t
      run.
      We
      can
     
     
      run,
      don’t
      let
      the
      cough
      fool
     
     
      you,
      we
      can
      run.
      I’m
      only
      an
     
     
      occasional
      smoker
      and
      I’m
     
     
      pretty
      sure
      I
      can
      still
      outrun
     
     
      someone
      if
      need
      be.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      the
      SU
      last
      year
      when
      a
     
     
      smoke
      free
      campus
      initiative
     
     
      was
      being
      brought
      forward.
     
     
      The
      council
      felt
      that
      it
      would
     
     
      be
      much
      too
      dangerous,
      es-
     
     
      pecially
      with
      a
      licensed
      es-
     
     
      tablishment
      on
      campus,
      to
     
     
      have
      an
      entirely
      smoke
      free
     
     
      campus,”
      Douglas
      noted.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      scenario
      __
      dis-
     
     
      cussed
      was
      allowing
      smok-
     
     
      ers
      to
      move
      into
      parking
     
     
      lots,
      where
      smoking
      poli-
     
     
      cies
      would
      be
      different
      from
     
     
      those
      on
      campus.
      It
      is
      a
      new
     
     
      concept,
      however,
      that
      has
     
     
      yet
      to
      be
      approved.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      proposal
      that
      suggests
     
     
      smoking
      be
      allowed
      in
      des-
     
     
      ignated
      areas
      such
      as
      park-
     
     
      ing
      lots
      has
      only
      recently
     
     
      been
      introduced
      to
      the
      Stu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      then
      why,
      why?
      If
      you
     
     
      crack
      up
      a
      policy
      no
      one
      can
     
     
      moderate,
      one
      I
      hadn’t
      heard
     
     
      of
      until
      recently
      and
      some-
     
     
      thing
      I’ll
      bet
      most
      students
     
    
   
   
    
     
      didn’t
      know
      before
      they.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      read
      this
      in
      the
      paper,
      then
      it
     
     
      seems
      pretty
      clearly
      a
      lame-
     
     
      legged
      and
      passive
      move-
     
     
      ment,
      which
      leads
      me
      to
      be-
     
     
      lieve
      that
      it
      had
      only
      taken
     
     
      effect
      to
      shut
      someone
      up.
     
     
      Take
      a
      look
      at
      a
      larger
      uni-
     
     
      versity,
      any
      larger
      university.
     
     
      You
      do
      get
      a
      larger
      campus,
     
     
      and
      yet
      anybody
      who
      wants
     
     
      to
      and
      has
      a
      cigarette
      can
     
     
      smoke,
      anywhere
      outside
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHECK
      OUT
      THE
      PANTHER
      POST
      ON
      FACEBOOK
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dent
      Council:
      That
      proposal
     
     
      would
      need
      to
      be
      approved
     
     
      by
      the
      Board
      of
      Governors
      in
     
     
      order
      for
      it
      to
      take
      effect.”
     
     
      Most
      recently,
      in
      ‘another
     
     
      heated
      discussion,
      council
     
     
      has
      decided
      to
      pursue
      a
      ref-
     
     
      erendum
      regarding
      the
      poli-
     
     
      cy,
      to
      leave
      the
      decision
      per-
     
     
      taining
      to
      the
      campus
      to
      the
     
     
      individuals
      who
      frequent
      it,
     
     
      but
      this
      too
      raises
      questions.
     
     
      “If
      areferendum
      by
      students
     
     
      were
      to
      be
      held
      on
      the
      issue
     
     
      this
      would
      not
      be
      binding
      to
     
     
      the
      University
      as
      a
      whole.
      It
     
     
      would
      permit
      the
      SU
      execu-
     
     
      tive
      to
      approach
      the
      Board
     
     
      of
      Governors
      with
      either
      an
     
     
      overwhelming
      majority
      of
     
     
      students
      in
      favour,
      against
      or
     
     
      split
      on
      the
      issue.
      This
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      burn
     
    

    
     
      they
      want.
      And
      yet
      with
     
     
      such
      a
      minor
      percentage
      of
     
     
      smokers
      here
      on
      campus,
      the
     
     
      slightest
      whiff
      can
      offend.
     
     
      Obviously
      this
      is
      a
      two-
     
     
      sided
      issue,
      and
      I
      see
      that,
     
     
      don’t
      get
      me
      wrong.
      I
      know
     
     
      as
      a
      non-smoker
      someone
     
     
      can
      take
      offense
      to
      the
      scent.
     
     
      It
      gets
      in
      your
      clothes,
      your
     
     
      fingers
      --
      some
      tell
      me
      it
      rots
     
     
      out
      your
      eyes.
      Some
      univer-
     
     
      sities
      across
      North
      America
     
     
      have
      strongly
      considered
      a
     
     
      campus-wide
      ban
      on
      smok-
     
     
      ing.
     
    

    
     
      But
      here’s
      the
      thing:
      you
     
     
      will
      hardly
      find
      a
      study
      which
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FOR
      MORE
      INFORMATION
      ON
      THE
      PAPER
     
     
      AND
      HOW
      YOU
      CAN
      CONTRIBUTE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AND
      GIVE
      STORY
      TIPS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      give
      the
      SU
      leverage
      to
      lob-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      on
      behalf
      of
      students
      for
     
     
      a
      proposal
      that
      met
      the
      needs
     
     
      of
      the
      most
      students.”
     
    

    
     
      But
      what
      about
      the
      smokers
     
     
      themselves?
      At
      what
      point
     
     
      do
      the
      rules
      start
      to
      conflict
     
     
      with
      the
      smoker’s
      right
      to
     
     
      smoke?
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      is
      a
      complicated
      issue,”
     
     
      Douglas
      said.
      “As
      of
      this
     
     
      time,
      we
      are
      currently
      in
      the
     
     
      process
      of
      listening
      to
      pro-
     
     
      posals
      and
      concerns
      being
     
     
      brought
      forward
      to
      council.
     
     
      The
      decision
      of
      council
      on
     
     
      this
      issue,
      whether
      it
      be
      to
     
     
      put
      the
      question
      to
      referen-
     
     
      dum
      or
      not
      will
      be
      what
      I
     
     
      bring
      forward
      in
      my
      discus-
     
     
      sions
      with
      the
      Board
      of
      Gov-
     
     
      ernors.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      proves
      that
      there
      is
      a
      pos-
     
     
      sibility
      of
      inhaling
      second-
     
     
      hand
      smoke
      and
      ingesting
     
     
      nicotine
      if
      you’re
      walking
     
     
      by.
      Only
      a
      smoke-heavy
      area
     
     
      with
      little
      ventilation
      can
      do
     
     
      that,
      and
      we
      already
      have
      a
     
     
      ban
      on
      smoking
      in
      bars.
     
    

    
     
      So
      is
      it
      merely
      the
      appear-
     
     
      ance
      of
      a
      non-smoking
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      that
      we
      crave,
      and
     
     
      not
      for
      the
      simple
      logic
      of
     
     
      preventative
      health
      safety
     
     
      reasons?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Correction
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      January
      issue
      of
      the
     
     
      Post
      incorrectly
      identifies
     
     
      -
      Gavin
      Hall
      as
      Gawin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      attempt
      to
      correct
      any
     
     
      errors
      made.
      If
      a
      correction
     
     
      is
      needed,
      please
      email
      the
     
    

    
     
      Panther
      Post
      at
     
     
      pantherpost@gmail.com