Smoking will be prohibited on all property that is owned, leased, rented or under control of the college district starting on September 1. A voluntary smoking ban was already in effect on all ACC campuses, with smoking allowed in designated areas only.
Large, highly visible banners will be posted all around campus with two messages: “Thank you for making Palo Alto a healthier campus” and “A breath of fresh air: Palo Alto goes smoke- and tobacco-free September 1.”
Barrera said, “Campus computer labs will also have these messages as screen savers and announcements will be posted on bulletin boards. The new policy is being added into the new student handbook.”
The ban on all cigarettes and chewing tobacco is being enforced at Palo Alto, while other campuses have only adopted a smoke-free policy. According to Yolanda Castañeda, the secretary for the Public Relations Department at San Antonio College, SAC was the first campus to adopt a smoke-free policy in 2005. St. Philip’s College followed their lead, then Northwest Vista and Northeast Lakeview campuses followed suit.
Not everyone agrees that the tobacco-free ban is for the best. Christine Lopez, a freshman Education Major at Palo Alto College, said: “I don’t think there should be a ban on campus. I can understand restaurants and public indoor places, but not outside the school.”
Lopez said she hopes to quit smoking before September 1. “I’ll be buying a lot of nicotine patches.”
More than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco use each year, according to the American Cancer Society. One in every five deaths in the U.S. is smoking-related, and each year more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women die. Between 1960 and 1990, deaths from lung cancer increased by more than 400 percent. Smoking triples the risk of middle-aged men and women dying from heart disease and scientific studies link secondhand smoke exposure to an estimated 3,000 deaths from lung cancer.
David Durnell, a sophomore Education Major, does not care for the smoke- and tobacco-free campus idea. “That’s way overboard and a slap in the face for smokers,” said Durnell. “You should be allowed to at least smoke in your car. I will quit anyway, but not because of Palo Alto.”
Starting September 1, Campus Police may issue a citation to anyone caught smoking on Alamo Community College property, including the parking lots. Currently, the citation will be the same as a traffic violation: $12. After 10 days, the fee will go up to $18. You must pay all fees to keep your account in good standing and to register for classes.
Dr. Daniel Rodriguez, Director of Student Activities, said his job is to inform everyone of the tobacco ban.
“We are working with Student Government to get the word out. We want to educate individuals, not punish them. We want to provide wellness seminars related to this issue and take preventative measures,” Rodriguez said.
Ken Glass, Instructor of Economics, said the tobacco ban needs a better time frame. “It needs to be done in a more positive light in terms of assisting smokers financially, emotionally and educationally. Some students don’t have the money for patches or nicotine gum.”
According to The Foundation for a Smokefree America, one in three people worldwide are currently addicted to tobacco products. Experts estimate that more than 500 million people will die from tobacco use within the next decade. San Antonio is one of 47 Texas cities with some type of limit on public smoking.
The “San Antonio Express-News” reported that legislation has been proposed to create a statewide smoking standard that eliminates smoking in workplaces and public places, such as restaurants, bars, sports arenas and convention centers. If passed, House Bill 9, sponsored by Rep. Myra Crownover, will create a smoke-free Texas.
“This is not a bill that says whether one should or should not smoke,” Crownover said. “This is a bill that says you cannot negatively affect the health of our workers in the state of Texas.”
For more information on the new smoke- and tobacco-free policy, log on to the FAQ web link at www.accd.edu/pac/nosmoking