The University administration has taken steps to ensure compliance with existing policies on tobacco use, but there is no consensus among the groups on UNLV campus-wide ban on tobacco, and any new regulations have been made.
Tobacco Free UNLV secured $ 450,000 in federal money in 2010 and aimed to see tobacco banned in UNLV in 2012. Just before that the test came, there were signs stating that smoking is not permitted in the Valerie Pida Plaza.
“I did not know about that,” said Tobacco Free UNLV Director Susan VanBeuge “, and I was embarrassed look, because people started to email me, saying,” Thank you very much. ”
VanBeuge said that she had received some negative feedback from individuals who thought of the Tobacco Free UNLV was responsible for the wiring, but that the messages were positive in 10-to-1.
“The initiative of the Tobacco Free can not take credit for it,” she said, “but I’d like to think that we have opened a conversation.”
The postings were the result of an administrative decision, and they seek to enforce existing laws and policies: that no smoking is allowed within 25 feet of the entrance to the building.
After the Tobacco Free UNLV began the dissemination of information among the various groups component, office facilities management, risk management and security have also examined public opinion on tobacco use on campus.
UNLV Media Affairs representative Megan Downs said that the decision said that the survey, which sent out regardless of the Tobacco Free UNLV.
“They tried to find areas where people have complained about the most smoke interrupting their walk around campus, so they stepped up signs in specific high-traffic areas,” she said.
Downs said that university officials have also moved the ashtray, which were close to the buildings. At the present time they are outside the 25-foot perimeter.
Tobacco Free UNLV can not draft policy - only administrators can do this university - but VanBeuge and her team have made a compilation of the draft policy, which they presented to President.
“In the best of all possible worlds, is that the Tobacco Free would like to,” VanBeuge said.
Some campus groups supported the ideals of the project. On December 5, Faculty Senate approved the declaration feeling Senate, which contains support for many purposes, initiatives and practices.
Statement asserted that “UNLV should enforce existing tobacco-related policies more consistently develop smoking cessation corridors and continue to care for all faculty, staff and students, as steps towards tobacco-free campus.”
Student representatives were not so friendly to the idea of the Tobacco Free UNLV in
VanBeuge said she was surprised to have negative views of students, because in most colleges, where tobacco use was prohibited, an initiative to support students.
“Most of them pushed forward and began to students,” she said.
But even after the CSUN Senate Medical Sciences organized a special luncheon for members of the CSUN in an effort to give VanBeuge and her colleagues have a platform to discuss their work, the student enate voted against supporting the student’s Tobacco Free UNLV.
Graduate and Professional Student Association also refused to support the project.
GPSA President Michael Gordon explained that although the members of the program GPSA Council support the Tobacco Free UNLV on smoking cessation, most of them were against a complete ban on tobacco use on campus, because they saw it as impractical and risk performance.
Many members of the GPSA thought that asking students who live off campus in the campus to smoke would be silly and that at night; it could pose a security risk.
But the biggest opposition within the GPSA was against regulations that would keep UNLV from taking funding for research related to the tobacco company.
“It would just add another layer of bureaucracy,” Gordon said.
He added that as UNLV works to recover from five years of rapid decline, the university should not limit the resources for researchers.
“In terms of budget cuts, we must all external financing, we can get,” he said. Gordon said that if the Tobacco Free UNLV GPSA support requested for each goal separately, the decision of the Board may be different.
Although the beginning of the New Year came and went without a policy to prohibit tobacco use on campus, VanBeuge believes Tobacco Free UNLV was successful in that it has opened a healthy conversation about an important issue.
“We have raised awareness on campus of tobacco and tobacco smoke, and some of the dangers of tobacco products to persons … and those with passive,” she said.
In addition, she said, as she and other members of UNLV participated in the state of the debate on health policy, the project often occupies a central place.
“It increases the powers of universities,” she said.
