UA residents vote against tobacco ban
Lindsey Pruitt
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: News
"I understand and sympathize with the health concerns involved with this issue," she said. "Perhaps there should be smoking areas away from populated or typically busy areas. I think that the policy is intended to function on the basis of health and cleanliness concerns. In this way, these are good intentions, but I think that there are other viable solutions in light of these concerns," Gibbons said.
RIC representatives felt students should to be represented in the decision whether to implement the policy, Biggs said.
"The UA talks a lot about being student centered," he said. "Indeed, this is evident in many aspects of our great university. However, we feel like we were completely left out of this decision and that this decision affects students living on campus more than any other individuals associated with the UA.
"Many students are very upset about this policy," he said. "We were elected by on-campus students to represent their interests. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't address this issue in some way.
"We could have simply passed a resolution that would tell the UA that we agree or disagree with the policy," Biggs said. "We decided, however, that having more than 1,000 students express their opinions on the issue through an unbiased referendum would mean more than 40 senators sending a resolution to UA officials."
All students were e-mailed a link to a UA voting page, where they are required to enter their UA username and password in order to verify the fact that they are on-campus students and that they vote only once, Biggs said.
"We also set up a polling station with laptops available for voters outside of the Union Thursday night," he said.
"Originally we thought a turnout of about 25 percent would be a success. Anyone who is familiar with college campus voting trends understands that 25 percent turnout on any type of referendum or election is fantastic. By Friday, we had a 34 percent turnout... more than 1,400 on-campus students," Biggs said.
RIC representatives felt students should to be represented in the decision whether to implement the policy, Biggs said.
"The UA talks a lot about being student centered," he said. "Indeed, this is evident in many aspects of our great university. However, we feel like we were completely left out of this decision and that this decision affects students living on campus more than any other individuals associated with the UA.
"Many students are very upset about this policy," he said. "We were elected by on-campus students to represent their interests. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't address this issue in some way.
"We could have simply passed a resolution that would tell the UA that we agree or disagree with the policy," Biggs said. "We decided, however, that having more than 1,000 students express their opinions on the issue through an unbiased referendum would mean more than 40 senators sending a resolution to UA officials."
All students were e-mailed a link to a UA voting page, where they are required to enter their UA username and password in order to verify the fact that they are on-campus students and that they vote only once, Biggs said.
"We also set up a polling station with laptops available for voters outside of the Union Thursday night," he said.
"Originally we thought a turnout of about 25 percent would be a success. Anyone who is familiar with college campus voting trends understands that 25 percent turnout on any type of referendum or election is fantastic. By Friday, we had a 34 percent turnout... more than 1,400 on-campus students," Biggs said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 12
Gerald Golden
posted 12/03/07 @ 8:38 AM CST
It obvious that little thought went into this ban. It needs completely rethought, rewritten and put to a campus vote of Students, Faculty and Staff.
Sara Bonds
posted 12/03/07 @ 11:16 AM CST
I have asthma. I didn't ask for it or do anything to get it, it just happened. I have lived with it for years and have methods to prevent asthma attacks. (Continued…)
spartacus007
Adam
posted 12/03/07 @ 2:38 PM CST
Obviously the rule about keeping smokers 20 feet away from entrances should be enforced. That should prevent Sara's asthma and preserve smokers' rights. (Continued…)
Bob Tiberius
Jeremy
posted 12/05/07 @ 7:33 AM CST
The reason that some kind of smoking ban on campus is right is the same reason that a smoking ban in the city of Fayetteville is wrong, there is a difference between public and private property. (Continued…)
MJ
posted 12/06/07 @ 11:02 AM CST
It should be noted that research shows that tobacco smoke only affects your health if you are less than 18 inches away from the smoker. You really shouldn't be that close to anyone. (Continued…)
Trevor
posted 12/07/07 @ 2:02 PM CST
[QUOTE id="bc286aec-efb0-45be-8db1-c17ebfc36585"]It should be noted that research shows that tobacco smoke only affects your health if you are less than 18 inches away from the smoker. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 12/07/07 @ 2:40 PM CST
Breathing in even heavily concentrated tobacco fumes for a few seconds every day is not going to give you cancer.
Trevor
posted 12/07/07 @ 8:14 PM CST
You say that relatively brief exposures to cigarette smoke will not "give you cancer." That's somewhat correct, but the point is moot because it's not right to decide whether to subject other people to something against their will based solely upon whether it's likely to kill them. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 12/07/07 @ 11:51 PM CST
Due to the passage of air, people are subject to all sorts of unwanted odors, fumes and sounds. Welcome to life.
I'm sure you've heard, "Everything is poison, there is poison in everything. (Continued…)
Tiffany W
posted 12/09/07 @ 2:36 PM CST
It's nice that the few thousand on campus students had a say in the smoking ban, but what about the rest of us? I am an off campus student, shouldn't my opionion count as much? Am I not paying tuition as well? I, like Sara, have asthma. (Continued…)
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