In recent years there’s been substantial discussion regarding possible changes to the University of Idaho smoking policy. According to the university’s administrative procedures manual, the current policy states smoking is permitted on campus, but prohibited within 25 feet of buildings.
Hannah Sandoval | Argonaut
Molly Reece, a coordinator for the Fresh Air Campus Challenge, gives a presentation in a UI lecture hall on Tuesday afternoon. The University of Idaho has been discussing changing the UI smoking policy since last year. Reece asks college leadership to work toward a smoke or tobacco free campus by 2016.
But some Vandals think the policy doesn’t do enough.
“Initially we thought maybe having zones on campus might be the way to go to phase things in,” Patricia Hartzell, UI chair of faculty senate said. “But after really talking to the experts and reading more literature and seeing what other campuses have done, I think we — I at least and a few others I’ve talked to — have come to the conclusion that going tobacco free might be the best approach for us.”
Due to the growing concern of smoking on campus, Molly Reece, a coordinator for the Fresh Air Campus Challenge, visited UI Tuesday to discuss the region-wide initiative that works to increase the number of smoke- and tobacco-free colleges in the Pacific Northwest.
“Basically this challenge is really a call to action,” Reece said. “It asks college leadership to work towards a smoke- or tobacco-free campus by 2016.”
Reece said the program was created to curb the onset of tobacco use that often begins in college settings, and has — so far — yielded success at other colleges and universities.
“Nationally, we see there are over 1,100 colleges and universities that have fully implemented a 100 percent smoke-free campus policy and of those, 811 have implemented tobacco-free policies — which include smokeless products like chew and electronic cigarettes,” Reece said. “Here in Idaho, five out of the eight institutions of higher education are smoke or tobacco free.”
Local Idaho Public Health tobacco expert Heidi Henson said she supports UI becoming a smoke- or tobacco-free campus. She said Project Filter, Idaho’s tobacco prevention and control program, has resources available for students, faculty and staff — if a new policy is implemented.
Henson said free tobacco cessation classes, free signage for the campus and free nicotine replacement therapy — including patches, gums or lozenges — are available to schools that take part in the challenge. Two of UI’s neighboring schools already have.
“Lewis-Clark State College has smoke-free zones and designated smoking areas at parking lots,” Henson said. “The College of Western Idaho does have tobacco-free signs and we provided that to both of them.”
Henson said while each school has their own policy according to their own needs, there’s a difference between smoke-free and tobacco-free college campuses.
“Tobacco free emphasizes the health of all, including the user,” Henson said. “Smoke free is primarily about the health of other people due to secondhand smoke exposure. So you’re creating an environment where it’s healthy for everyone and you’re encouraging those healthy choices. We’re making the healthy choice an easy choice.”
UI Health Education Coordinator Daniel Trautvetter said he supports the idea of a tobacco-free campus, as opposed to a smoke free one, because it sends a clearer message to the university community.
“I believe going smoke free versus going tobacco free sends mixed messages that one part of tobacco is okay but one part is not,” Trautvetter said. “But we’re looking out for everyone, the overall health of the university and helping that campus learning environment. And so I’d prefer the tobacco-free campus versus the smoke free just so we are looking out for everyone, not just nonsmokers.”
Reece said she said she hopes UI will commit to the Fresh Air Campus Challenge.
“Knowing what we know about tobacco, campuses are recognizing that allowing tobacco use on campus doesn’t support the mission and values of their institution in higher education,” Reece said. “We hope to see that University of Idaho joins their peers and becomes a fresh air campus.”
Amber Emery can be reached at [email protected]