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A proposed mandate to ban smoking passed with 69 percent in California State University, Stanislaus’ recent Associated Students Inc. elections.
The elections are voluntary, so although it may seem that the mandate passed with flying colors, the ballot may not accurately represent the entire student population. Not everyone chooses to vote for student government.
“I didn’t even know it was up for a vote,” Alicia Sablan (junior, Political Science) said. “I would’ve voted had I known it was up for debate.”
The proposal is derived from a system-wide proposal by California State University Chancellor Timothy White. The mandate would prohibit smoking throughout the 23 campus system by the end of 2013.
According to a letter written by CSU Associate Vice Chancellor Ronald E. Vogel, the motive is in response to a resolution from the CSU Academic Senate to “ban the use and sale of tobacco products and initiate smoking cessation programs.”
“The [UC] serves as a model for the elimination of tobacco products, and the CSU will utilize their approach and modify processes as necessary.”
A state-wide mandate has already been implemented in the UC system and is also in motion at many California Community Colleges.
The CSU Academic Senate outlawed the sale of tobacco products on all CSU campuses in January and hopes to move even further with the motion by eliminating tobacco use on campus indefinitely.
Campus police have not yet been advised on how they would implement the ban.
“I’m actually unaware of the mandate. So I’m not sure at the moment how we would be implementing the ban,” said university police officer Cheri Silvera.
If CSU Stanislaus implements regulations similar to those of California State University, Long Beach and Sierra College, it will have smoking zones, such as parking lots away from classrooms and common areas.
“I disagree [with the ban]," Amanda Kerr (alumnus, Business) said.
"I don't smoke but when I went to school there, I lived on campus all four years and this seems an invasion almost of home [or] living space,” she said.
