Smoking or non smoking?
Local college campus poised to review policy
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Friday, April 24, 2009 12:51 PM PDT
ONTARIO — A governance committee at Treasure Valley Community College is in the process of reviewing the school’s tobacco policy, but the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program in Oregon and the American Lung Association of Oregon are targeting TVCC and other community colleges, to encourage each institution to make campuses tobacco-free.
According to Andrew Epstein, school policy manager for the American Lung Association of Oregon, TVCC is one of three Oregon community colleges whose policy does not exceed the minimum 10-foot no-smoking setback required by state law.
According to a survey conducted in the spring of 2007, 51 percent of TVCC students surveyed would choose a smokefree college over one that allows smoking on campus, and 73 percent said they would support a smoking ban if that’s what it takes to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.
Oregon Coast Community College and Portland Community College will be going tobacco-free this fall, as will Boise State University. TVCC’s outreach centers are smoke-free because they are situated at public schools.
Holy Rosary Medical Center has gone tobacco-free in its buildings.
TVCC officials were approached by Kelly Jensen, Tobacco Prevention and Education coordinator with the Malheur County Health Department, and Epstein.
Jensen and Epstein first presented the tobacco-free campus proposal at a luncheon Tuesday and attended the TVCC board meeting that evening. The board was receptive and asked questions. Joining the pair was Dr. Morris Smith, Malheur County health officer. One of the results of smoking that he sees in his practice is that the small blood vessels in the body become restricted by the smoke.
“The ravage of smoking changes the skin,” Smith said, adding it will discolor the skin. Surgeons will not perform certain procedures involving the skin because the smoke-affected tissue does not heal well, he said.
“It’s about health,” Epstein said, not an anti-smoking measure. He read statements from a student suffering from asthma who was bothered by cigarette smoke.
“It’s just in the discussion stage,” Abby Lee, TVCC public information officer, said about writing new rules.
“We are in compliance with state law,” she said.
However, “The 10-feet (from the door or window) may not be sufficient,” she said. There have been complaints about smoke coming into the rooms through the ventilation system. Some schools have extended the setbacks 20 feet or more.
“I guess we would have to deal with it,” TVCC student Anthony Thompson, Ontario, said, after he commented he would not like tobacco ban.
“I would try to petition against it,” he said. “We’re already smoking out in the parking lot. I don’t see how it will hurt anybody.”
