Resolution 14-11-F   Resolution to Support a Limited Smoking Campus

 

 

 

PURPOSE:                  For the Student Government Association of Western Kentucky University to concur with the Staff Council and support making WKU a limited smoking campus similar to Purdue University and the University of Memphis in order to promote health, retention, and the image of the university.

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                WKU would begin by limiting tobacco use to 39 designated areas to accommodate our existing black urns and may supplement that with a few additional concrete urns and shelters in areas such as the stadium, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                The Administrative Council will design a plan in which the amount of designated areas will gradually be reduced phasing out smoking over the next three years, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                This policy would not limit the use of other tobacco products or electronic cigarettes, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                The policy would be enforced through a student ambassador program similar to TFTA which experienced a 68% enforcement success rate and a 25 percent decrease in the amount of tobacco litter on campus, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                The current policy allows 85 percent of non-smoking students to be exposed to harmful second hand smoke which has been proven to cause numerous severe medical and health problems, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                It has been ruled that there is no constitutional right to the freedom to smoke, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                Research shows that 70 of smokers want to quit and by coupling a smoke free policy with quit support from the Human Resources Department it will not only promote better health of non-smoking students but has the potential to help smokers reach their personal health goals to quit, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                Evidence from peer-reviewed studies shows that smoke free policies do not have an adverse economic impact, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                A similar policy at Eastern Kentucky University saved the university over $900,000.00 a year in employee insurance plans to cover preventable health conditions associated with smoking, and

 

 

 

WHEREAS:                Within Kentucky there are already 18 completely smoke free campuses including the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.

 

 

 

THEREFORE:            Be it resolved that the Student Government Association of Western Kentucky University concur with the Staff Council and support making WKU a limited smoking campus similar to Purdue University and the University of Memphis in order to promote health, retention, and the image of the university, and

 

 

 

THEREFORE:            Be it further resolved SGA does not support a smoke free campus AT THIS TIME

 

 

 

AUTHOR:                  J. William Berry

 

Seth Church

 

 

 

SPONSOR:                  Campus Improvements

 

 

 

CONTACTS:              Tanya Vincent

 

Howard Bailey          

 

Michael Crowe                            

 

Deborah Wilkins       

 

                                    Mackenzie Perkins

 

[1]​

 

 

[1]*All statistics and information provided is courtesy of the NCHA Smoking Statistics at Western Kentucky University as of 2012

And the Western Kentucky University Chapter of the Kentucky Public Health Association.