Smoke-free RIT

In a recent email Dr Destler said "In RIT's Expectations for Community Behavior we state that, 'as a member of the community, each person respects the dignity of all persons and acts to protect and safeguard the well being and property of others.'" Those who have signed this petition stand with me to ask you, Dr Destler, Karen Pelc, and Student Government to take this step to further safeguard the well being of those at RIT by banning smoking.

I was very disappointed when I read The Reporter article "SG Update: SG Opposes Smoke-Free Campus Proposal." For years we at the Rochester Institute of Technology have had some restrictions on smoking but, unfortunately, nothing is done to ensure the health of students and employees who walk on the Academic side and the current rule is not well enforced on the Residential side. We all have the right to an environment that does not increase our risk for developing cancer and multiple other problems. The policy Karen Pelc presented to SG would look out for the 92% of the RIT population that does not smoke, while providing time for the 8% who do smoke to adjust.

RIT’s non-discrimination policy goes even further than the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prohibit discrimination based on: age, citizenship, color, creed, culture, including deaf culture, disabilities, gender, marital status, national origin, political affiliation or preference, race, or sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. In both the Federal policy and RIT's own policy smoking is NOT included. Smoking is a choice; a choice that puts not only the smoker’s health at risk but the Surgeon General states that it is a significant health risk to everyone around them. This problem is hardly a “splinter,” as mentioned by the Editor in The Reporter, but is a serious and completely unnecessary health risk.

According to the CDC “more deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.” It causes at least 11 different kinds of cancer, narrows blood vessels, can double or quadruple your risk of stroke, and can lead to infertility just to name a few of the dangers. Second-hand smoke is classified as a class A carcinogen, meaning that there is adequate data showing that it causes cancer in people, and this category includes Asbestos and Arsenic. It has been classified by the EPA as a class A carcinogen since 1993, and their January 7th press release states that second-hand smoke is responsible for the death of 3,000 non-smokers annually. Furthermore, medical research has shown that there is no safe level of exposure when it comes to second-hand smoke. The list of Health Effects from smoking can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

The State of New York determined in 2003 that these health risks were sufficient to make it illegal to smoke inside any indoor area used by the public. The ban includes: bars, restaurants, child care centers, hospitals, indoor arenas, zoos, and all public and private college, university, and vocational facilities including all group residences on campus (dorms, fraternity houses etc), as well as other public facilities.  Many people initially resisted the ban, warning that it would harm the economy and isolate members of the community, but a study done 12 months later found that there was no detrimental economic effect and health problems in workers caused by second-hand smoke had declined by about 40%.  The law sought to provide a smoke-free workplace, and for those of us who attend and work at RIT this includes the Quarter Mile and other walkways.

In October of 2005 the American College Health Association released guidelines urging all colleges and universities to adopt policies barring all tobacco use indoors and outdoors on their campuses. As of January 2, 2012 there are 648 colleges and universities that have already enacted 100% smoke-free campus policies, and it is time RIT joined them (http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf).  Over 250 colleges and universities have entirely tobacco-free campus policies. Although people have the legal right to purchase tobacco products, RIT has the ethical and legal right and responsibility to make and implement decisions that positively affect the health and well being of all students, faculty and staff on campus. It is true that smoking is still a legal activity; but, the courts have ruled that the rights of smokers do not supersede the rights of non-smokers to avoid breathing second-hand smoke.

A 2005 study found that there were significant increases in the number of permanent gene mutations found in infants whose mothers smoked while pregnant, with similar rates of increased mutations from women who were only exposed to second-hand smoke while pregnant (Grant).  While many of us do not have children while attending college some women do, and our female professors and staff deserve a safe workplace if they decide to have a child. RIT has a history of providing very nice benefits for its employees who have children, including a wonderful daycare that my sister and I attended. It should not continue to allow those children to be at increased risk of genetic mutations, premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome because their mothers were exposed to second-hand smoke at work.

A smoke-free campus benefits the health of everyone. This does not mean RIT will be a smoker-free campus; people who smoke are still welcome, but their dangerous habit should be confined to areas where it does not affect the 92% of us who do not smoke.  Stating that “you must be at least 25 feet away” from a building is much harder to enforce that having it banned everywhere except designated areas. The current rule also does not protect people running on the trails around campus or those people walking to or from buildings.  This is not about inconveniencing the 8% of people who smoke, it is about protecting the other 92%. RIT should also make it easier for anyone who wants to quit by providing support as well as gum/patches/etc free of charge or at discounted rates. If SG wants the previously proposed ban to be reworked there are 648 policies they can consult, many with links in the no-smoke.org pdf previously mentioned.

I spent a year teaching high school in Nashville, TN and while there I was enrolled in classes at Belmont University. This summer they released a new policy for the campus, which is now completely tobacco free. This may be beneficial for RIT in the future, but the main threat to public health is from second-hand smoke and so I feel eliminating this is most important.  As you may have seen in the news last year, Belmont was far behind RIT when it came to policies that protected the LGBT community, we should not fall behind them when it comes to protecting our non-smokers.

~ Caitlin

For reference, here is part of Belmont’s Policy

Policy: The use of tobacco is prohibited within the main university campus.  This includes all buildings (including residence halls), parking structures, campus walkways, university owned vehicles, and privately owned vehicles parked on university property.  This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, contractors, vendors, and other visitors to all university property.  Prohibited tobacco products include, but are not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, and all smokeless tobacco.

Enforcement: All faculty, staff, and students have collective responsibility to promote the safety and health of the campus community and, therefore, share in the responsibility of enforcement. The Offices of Campus Security and Residence Life are authorized to issue citations for violations of the policy.

Sanctions
First Violation (same for students and employees):
Inside a Building—Health & Safety Fine of $150
(The sanction for smoking inside buildings is heightened since that is a leading factor for building fires, especially in residence halls.)

Outside—Health & Safety Fine of $75

*Should any student wish to appeal the automatic fine, an appeal process is outlined on the documentation provided at the time of the incident.

Second Violation:

Students: Upon a second violation, a student is required to participate in the formal student conduct process. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, Health Assessment with University Health Services, participation in an Educational Program/Activity, and a Health & Safety Fine of $200.

Employees: Upon a second violation, employee sanctions may include, but are not limited to, Health Assessment with University Health Services, meeting with supervisor, suspension for up to two days without pay and a Health & Safety Fine of $200.

Third Violation:
Students: Referral to the Community Conduct Board and sanctions to be determined based on the incident and previous student conduct violations.

Employees: Suspension without pay for up to four days or termination.

All employee sanctions will conform to the provisions of the applicable handbooks.

Additional Sources:

American College Health Association. Position Statement on Tobacco on College and University Campuses. 2011 UPDATE. http://www.acha.org/Publications/docs/Position_Statement_on_Tobacco_Nov2011.pdf

Belmont University. Tobacco-Free Campus Policy http://www.belmont.edu/tobaccofree/policyandsanctions.html

EPA Designates Passive Smoking a "Class A" or Known Human Carcinogen. EPA press release – January 7, 1993. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/smoke/01.html

Grant, SG. Qualitatively and quantitatively similar effects of active and passive maternal tobacco smoke exposure on in uteromutagenesis at the HPRTlocus. BMC Pediatrics 2005, 5:20 doi:10.1186/1471-2431-5-20. June 29, 2005.

State of New York - Regulation of Smoking in Public and Work Places. Effective July 24, 2003. New York State Department of Health. http://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/public_health_law/section/1399/index.htm