Smoking ban nothing new at area colleges
By JEFFREY SAULTON, jsaulton@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - Although a smoking ban has been recently enacted for restaurants and bars in Wood County, local colleges have been smoke-free for several years.
Glenville State College has banned tobacco products and smoking for more than 10 years, said Jerry Burkhammer, dean of students at .
"We have a ban on the use of tobacco products on campus," he said. "We have moved to smoke-free in all our buildings and our residence halls. It applies to every facility from offices to the boiler room to storage closets."
Smoking also is banned in state-owned vehicles at the college, he said.
"We can't allow it there since it could cause a problem for the next person to use the vehicle," he said.
Burkhammer said the college moved to a smoke-free policy on its own, not by state mandate. He said the policies are based on regulations issued by the state for its buildings and from those by the local health department.
Burkhammer said the college has sponsored cessation classes for those who want to stop smoking and it has been successful.
"Compared to the rest of the nation, at Glenville State the number of smokers is down 20 percent," he said.
Burkhammer said research from across the nation and his observations on campus have linked smoking to a lack of self-esteem and a lack of maturity among students.
"Research shows those who smoke are smoking are using tobacco to make themselves look different due to a lack of self-esteem," he said. "One thing seen on campuses is that 20 years ago an 18-year-old had the maturity level of 16 and today the maturity level of about 12- years old."
Burkhammer said the college follows a smoke-free program for its student-athletes as set by the NCAA because Glenville is a member of the NCAA Division II West Virginia Conference.
"All our athletes are covered by the NCAA regulations and they also have to participate in the GSC 101 course during freshman orientation covering our policy on drugs, smoking and tobacco use," Burkhammer said.
At West Virginia University at Parkersburg, spokeswoman Connie Dziagwa said the campus buildings are smoke- and tobacco-free in accordance with Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department regulations.
"There are designated smoking areas that must be 15 feet from any entrance," she said. "Smoking is not allowed in any building."
Becky Mathis-Stump, dean of students at Ohio Valley University, said the campus has been smoke-free since its founding.
"A smoking ban has been in force since 1958, when the college started," she said.
Mathis-Stump said college officials occassionally have had to confiscate smoking items.
While tobacco in any form is banned from campus, she said it does not mean all students are smoke free.
"We don't control students choices when they are off-campus," she said.
Mathis-Stump said student-athletes are also covered by the NCAA tobacco-free policy. She said the university is exploring working on a grant with the Mid Ohio Valley Health Department to begin classes on the dangers of tobacco use.
Tom Perry, director of college relations at Marietta College, said the private college has a smoke-free policy.
"All administration and academic buildings are smoke-free," he said. "Our residence halls are also smoke-free."
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MichaelJMcFadden
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10-14-08 11:52 PM
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So the Dean said, "One thing seen on campuses is that 20 years ago an 18-year-old had the maturity level of 16 and today the maturity level of about 12- years old." . . . Interesting. Back when 40 to 50 percent of the student population smoked they were evidently far more mature than they are today. . . . Would the Dean like to write that up as a scientific study and claim causality? It would make about as much sense as most of the antismoking studies out there. . . . Michael J. McFadden . . . Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"
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MissOlen
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10-12-08 8:10 PM
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puff away get your ticket and allow the non-smokers a chance to puke all over the smokers.
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MrAlex
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10-12-08 11:11 AM
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All Colleges every where should be smoke free. I mean, people go to college to get an education, to get a degree, ... NOT to get cancer. However, one funny story: I remember years ago, sitting in a college class at WVU-P, in a classroom that had a big NO SMOKING sign posted in the room, Yet the teacher and a few of the students were smoking. I can't remember WHY I didn't report them. Looking back on it now, I wish I had.
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