The Undergraduate Student Government Senate on Tuesday night considered the possibility of holding a referendum to push ASU to adopt a tobacco-free campus policy.
USG senators held a discussion on the measure, allowing questions after Courtney Roake, a member of the Health and Counseling Student Action Committee, and Chad Williams, HCSAC chairman, presented arguments in favor of a tobacco-free campus.
Issues with the referendum voiced by senators included difficulty enforcing the policy because current smoking laws often go unenforced and the fact that it would take away smokers’ rights.
“If someone is smoking in the middle of Palm Walk at 6 p.m. when it’s not crowded and they’re not around somebody, are they really breaking a law?” said USG President Brendan O’Kelly.
He questioned if students should be ticketed if they are smoking when no one else is around.
“It doesn’t matter if anybody’s around,” Williams said. “They’re still breaking a rule, and they’re still going to be ticketed.”
Proposed designated smoking areas would cause even more health problems for smokers, which would send an inconsistent health message, he said.
“By piling smokers into smoking zones, we’re increasing their intake of secondhand smoke,” Williams said.
There is also the issue of enforcing other smoking rules as well as the proposed tobacco-free policy.
“This [policy] is the most effective way to ensure that smoking policies are enforced,” Williams said.
The senate is expected to vote on the referendum later this month.
Reach the reporter at reweaver@asu.edu
