The sentinel
Vol. 48 Issue 6 | Since 1966
Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel
Sept. 30 2014
k a e sn eek p
Student lights his cigarette in front of the KSU Bookstore.
Matt Boggs | The Sentinel
Up in smoke
Kaitlyn Lewis News Editor
Story Starts On Page 8
Story Starts On Page 12
Spartans Stick Together Story Starts On Page 17
Students and faculty are anticipating a smoke free campus set to come into effect on Wednesday Oct. 1, 2014. KSU has already begun removing benches and ashtrays from the designated smoking areas around campus. The Board of Regents under the University System of Georgia (USG) first announced their smoking policy on March 19, 2014. The policy bans the use of all tobacco products including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes on all university properties. “This prohibition includes but is not limited to all areas indoors and outdoors, buildings and parking lots owned, leased, rented or otherwise used by the USG or its affiliates,” reads the policy, which can be found on the USG’s website. In addition, “the use of tobacco products is prohibited in all vehicles— private or public vehicles— located on USG properties.” Although the Board of Regents established the policy,
it is KSU’s responsibility to enforce the smoking ban. “Everything that is going on with implementation is localized to KSU. There’s implementation at every university and college that’s owned by the state,” said SGA president Eric Johnson. Since March, KSU has been trying to educate and “forewarn” students and faculty of the upcoming implementation, said Dr. Michael Sanseviro, the Dean of Student Success. One of the main ways KSU educates students about the policy is through the “Breathe Easy” campaign. On the “Breath Easy” website, www.kennesaw. edu/smokefree, students and faculty can learn more about the policy, which will affect the 33 public universities under the USG. KSU plans to enforce the policy in three phases, which can be found on the website. Phase two, which Sanseviro described as a data collecting period, begins Oct. 1. During the spring semester,
the SMILE approach will be used to enforce the smoke free policy. The SMILE approach can be found on the “Breathe Easy” website: Smile and be friendly when approaching someone on campus smoking or using a tobacco product. Make the assumption that the person does not know about our policy. Inform the person about our policy and resources available on campus for quitting tobacco. Let them know about the policy again. Enforce by asking them to respect our policy and stop smoking or using tobacco on our campus. “Our goal is not to be judgmental,” Sanseviro said. “Our goal is just to say, ‘We want the heathiest environment possible for everyone when it comes to our campus.’” Phase three of implementation procedure will begin Jan. 6, 2015. During this time, students and faculty can report any violations of the
smoke free policy through the KSU website. Frequent violators may be sent to student conduct and human resources if they are a KSU employee. No one will be penalized for the possession of tobacco, Sanseviro said. Sanseviro said that overall, students and faculty have been supportive of the new policy, with the exception of a “small handful” of faculty. “The overwhelming majority of people are not using [tobacco] products based on [our] survey data,” he said. Freshman biology major, Leiliani Manera, who is a nonsmoker, said she agrees with the new policy. “It’s awesome,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea. I hate walking by the smoking areas and breathing in the smoke, and it might even help people quit smoking.” Junior communication major, Bakara Beard, is also a nonsmoker who is supportive of the policy. “It’s a good way to help Smoking Continues on pg. 2