Near each building lies a “smoke station” (pictured above) where the campus community can discard their cigarettes. Smoke stations should lie 25 feet from all campus buildings and facilities (Xavier Delcid/Photo Editor).
The SUNY Board of Trustees approved a resolution in June of 2012 to support legislation that instructed campuses state-wide to operate as tobacco free by Jan. 1, 2014. Of the 20 percent of SUNY’s state-operated institutions to implement tobacco-free policies, Geneseo is not one.
According to SUNY, however, recently conducted studies demonstrate trending growth towards supporting tobacco-free campus policies. Currently, more than 70 percent of SUNY colleges and universities across the state are planning to draft and enforce policy.
“I have talked about this with members of administration for 15 years,” Health & Counseling Medical Director Dr. Steve Radi said. “It has been only in the last two or three years that a student initiative to make the campus smoke and tobacco-free has accelerated.”
According to Geneseo’s Smokex-Free Workplace policy, last updated in 2009, smoking is prohibited inside all buildings, including residence halls, as well as within the perimeters of intercollegiate venues. Individuals who wish to smoke outdoors are mandated to participate in the activity 25 feet away from smoke-free areas.
“There are smoking stations outside of each building,” Dean of Students Leonard Sancilio said. “But, each residence hall, academic building and administrative building is smoke free. So, the talk is, what if we made the whole campus smoke free so those smoking stations wouldn’t exist.”
Sancilio and Dr. Radi agree that main source of pushback regarding Geneseo supporting SUNY’s tobacco-free policy lies with unionized workers.
“The hope is that with recent initiatives, the discussion can bring the entire campus community to the table to try and see what is best for everyone,” Sancilio said. “I think part of the answer involves union leadership change.”
Dr. Radi said in addition to the lack of employee union acceptance, he has heard that pushback exists because the policy would be “difficult to enforce.” In response, Dr. Radi said that there exists a self-enforcing culture created by the public and clientele in many places with smoke-free initiatives.
“I am aware of the on-campus efforts of student groups such as Colleges Against Cancer,” Dr. Radi said. “I know that petitions with hundreds, perhaps thousands of signatures were presented to President Battles and other administrators in the past few years. My signature has been on them.”
Senior Relay for Life Chair for CAC Matt Cotroneo recently took initiative to measure the smoking stations proximity to smoke-free campus buildings. He said that there were 10 stations not located 25 feet away from their prospective buildings.
“On the morning of Nov. 21, the day of the Great American Smokeout, we took caution tape and strung it from the smokers’ station to the building it was too close to, to try and raise awareness about lung cancer. We put resources about how people can stop the use of nicotine, including hotlines and websites, and a sign that said, ‘this is too close.’”
Cotroneo said that Facilities services took down the caution tape because it falsely symbolized danger in the area. The department did, however, leave up the signs and information left by CAC.
“Outside of this initiative, there is actually a smoke-free campus task force that has recently started. Myself along with a few others have been contacted about it.” Cotroneo said.
According to community engagement manager of the smoking and health action coalition of Livingston and Monroe county Alexandra Popovici, several months ago she started a tobacco-free taskforce at Geneseo.
Popovici explained that her organization operates under the American Lung Association, working to provide education on tobacco control policies as well as protecting the health of young adults in surrounding areas. She said that in her experience, many colleges her organization has worked with have become 100 percent tobacco-free.
“We have many different stakeholders, including members of the community, health workers, administration representatives, those working in Human Resources and students,” Poppvici said. “We basically meet once a month or so to discuss our plans moving forward to educate the campus about the benefits associated with becoming a 100 percent tobacco-free policy.”
Popovici said this semester, the coalition plans to hold some type of event on campus. They hope to partner with other groups, although currently unclear whom, Greek Life has prospectively been discussed. Plans have also been put into motion to table at the College Union in the coming weeks.
“We will be collecting information from random surveys to gain more insight to the student opinion regarding support for a tobacco-free campus,” Popovici said.
The taskforce also aims to engage with the community and has recently made attempts to work with the Village of Geneseo.
“The whole point of this is to promote and protect the circulation of clean, healthy air. In the current campus environment, students and faculty are continuing to get secondhand smoke exposure,” Popovici said.
In relation to new smoking related technology, Popovici said that a 100 percent tobacco free campus initiative would include all e-cigarettes and vaping devices.
“I think with this inclusion, it really sets the precedent that tobacco, no matter how you choose to inhale it, isn’t the best option, at least on campus. If you are going to continue to use these products, use them on your own terms…you must be aware of your addiction.”
According to Dr. Radi, all patients seen by Health and Counseling services are asked about their use of tobacco products, and counseling accordingly encourages students to stop.
“We educate regarding the available free resources through the NYS Quitline and NYSQUITS Program, which includes free medication, resources and counseling. We want everyone to quit nicotine, that is our goal and we know and there is evidence that having a smoke-free campus will be a tremendous step forward in that effort,” Dr. Radi said.