By Andrea Banda
A&E Editor
Pepperdine is joining colleges across the nation embracing more restrictive smoking practices.
While the university has not yet completely banned the habit, a committee approved a new policy Monday effective next fall that bans smoking in several areas of lower campus completely — including Joslyn Plaza, Adamson Plaza, the area around the fountain and in front of Payson Library. The plan allows for a few designated smoking areas, possibly around the cafeteria or the Fouch Amphitheatre, but these have not yet been determined. All outdoor activities sponsored by the university will also be smoke-free.
The university extended the smoking policy this year to include a 20-foot ban from buildings instead of a five-foot ban. Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Mark Davis said the policy changed due to a discrepancy in the Seaver student and faculty handbooks. The student handbook read five feet, while the faculty handbook read 20 feet.
“We’re proposing that we have a smoke-free zone on the plazas because we have enhanced this area and we have had students complain that the smokers there bother the non-smokers,” Davis said. “And with the recent evidence of secondhand smoke effects, we want to support a non-smoking environment in our outdoor community areas by creating a smoke free zone.”
The University Management Committee created a task force to develop the policy, which solicited feedback from all areas of the Pepperdine community.
“The student feedback is one of support for having an area that is smoke free, but also wanting to have some consideration for those who smoke,” Davis said.
Another new change to the smoking policy calls for smoking cessation programs via the University Wellness Program. Already, the Wellness Program sponsors the Great American Smoke-Out in November, the health fair and provides individual counseling to those want to quit smoking. Jennifer Guellich, director of the Wellness Program, said she believes the adoption of the policy will create funding for new programs, such as a six-to-eight-week seminar where students and faculty can come free of charge to help quit the habit.
Pepperdine is not the only university to strengthen its smoking policies.
In November, the Riverside Community College District banned any form of tobacco from its campus entirely. The previous policy mandated that smokers stand 20 feet away from buildings.
“I’m excited, it’s a great step for public health,” Director of RCC College Health Services, Patricia Smith said. “People worldwide are coming to the conclusion that smoking is bad for health.”
The University of New Hampshire, Brandeis University and Duke University have all recently strengthened their smoking policies. A new policy that allows California State Universities to determine their own smoking policies is also expected to lead to a policy advocating at least a 20-foot distance from buildings instead of the previously mandated five.
Davis said the Pepperdine committee devised a policy after a review of other college smoking policies and the consideration of the position statement from the American College Health Assoc. The association encourages colleges to take various actions to address prevention, reduction and cessation of smoking.
“Smoking statistics nationally point out that the scary trend is that college students are still smoking,” Davis said. “There are those who say that we as a university have a responsibility to make a statement to help students realize that this is an unhealthy habit, which is one of the reasons why we decided to strengthen our policy.”
Students are expressing mixed reactions to the new, stronger policy.
Resident Advisor Kim Ruhl said she did not have problems in her dorm last semester with the smoking policy and that the current policy is adequate.
“Last year with the five-foot rule, smoke went into other people’s rooms, but the 20-foot rule has really cut down on that,” she said. “The policy is fine how it is.”
Jessica Whitney, also a Resident Advisor, said most people already make an effort to stand 20 feet away.
“I have seen a few people smoking where they are not supposed to, but they moved when they were asked to,” she said. “I think most people comply with the rule.”
On the other hand, junior Sarah Schulman said the 20-foot rule is not successful.
“Obviously the administration is trying to say something, but it’s not effective when even the faculty doesn’t obey it,” she said.
Davis said the best way to enforce the proposal of the smoke-free area, as well as the current policy, is through self-enforcement.
“Basically what we’re asking for is the goodwill of the community and the thoughtful consideration of those who smoke to think about its impact on non-smokers,” he said.
He also said flagrant repeated abuse of the policy would call for disciplinary action, but such action would be the extreme case.
“We’re hoping that by putting up signs that say ‘thank you for not smoking,’ we won’t have to ask people not to, that the students who are smokers would be considerate and respectful of those who do not smoke,” he said.
Senior Jennifer Villaluz said she thinks people will not obey the new policy.
“They might as well prohibit smoking all together,” she said. “Where will people go to smoke? It won’t encourage people to stop smoking, but will give them something else to complain about.”
Many Christian colleges such as Point Loma Nazarene University, Biola University and Westmont College have already banned smoking from their campuses.
Some people argue that Christian schools like Biola have taken more progressive measures to prevent smoking because of their Christian affiliations. Dr. Lee Kats, professor of biology, said Pepperdine also needs to be willing to take a stronger stand to discourage smoking.
“We need to stress a culture shift at Pepperdine that many Christian colleges with more restricted positions have already done,” he said. “Personally I think it would be a good thing to be smoke-free, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
Many students said that there would be too much controversy if Pepperdine ever decided to become a smoke-free campus.
“There are not enough students who are annoyed by smoking for the administration to go to the process of banning it,” Schulman said. “It would cause too much tension.”
Other students agreed.
“If they ever did (banned smoking), it would be my last day here,” senior Sarah Pederson said.
Nick Garcia, a speech communications and Spanish major, said it would take away students’ rights.
“They would disenfranchise a lot of people if they banned it (smoking),” he said. “It’s like saying groups wouldn’t be able to meet.”
Humanities professor Dr. Michael Gose agreed with the students.
“No, smoking isn’t good, but for numerous political, social, economic, religious and cultural reasons, going to a smoke-free campus is not a good idea,” he said.
While many Christian schools have smoke-free campuses, other Christian universities such as Texas Christian and Baylor have policies more lenient than Pepperdine’s. TCU bans smoking from dorms, while Baylor prohibits smoking inside of all university facilities.
“We actually state a desire to generally discourage tobacco use,” said Carl Flynn, a visiting professor of religion who worked and attended Baylor. “Baylor’s policy suggests a generic health concern and then relegates smoking to outdoor areas without the same strict parameters on the outside of buildings articulated in Pepperdine’s policy.”
The University Management Committee has considered creating a smoke-free policy in the past, but concerns from various areas of the university, one regarding its impact on guests, has prevented it from taking effect.
“Even though we are not totally smoke free, we currently go beyond the recommendations of the American College Health Association,” said Davis, who hopes the campus will one day completely ban the habit. “Our policy already prohibits smoking in more places than most universities.”
The approved policy will take effect next fall. Davis also mentioned that like all of Pepperdine’s other policies, the smoking policy is subject to review and the university will be open to reconsideration.
January 23, 2003