Campus Connection

A No Tobacco Policy is being revised after UW-L governance groups expressed concerns about the policy, including issues such as enforcement, the timeline and how it would affect UW-L neighbors. Jason Bertrand, UW-L Wellness Coordinator and a promoter of the policy, is currently crafting the revised policy to address the concerns. Chancellor Joe Gow plans to consult with members of his cabinet and others on the revisions before approving it. Under the current policy, people have to be 25-feet away from a campus building to smoke. The new policy would mean cigarettes and other tobacco products are not allowed to be consumed anywhere on campus. The no tobacco policy was initiated by a group of students and Bertrand in October 2012. Since then they have held four open forums and attended about 30 campus meetings to discuss the proposed policy. If the policy was approved, it would go into effect July 1. UW-L’s Classified Staff Council voted unanimously not to support the original policy. They cited various reasons. Among them, most classified staff are paid hourly and do not have the time or flexibility to leave campus. They also say if infringements of the policy are handled as a “work rule violation” it opens the door for progressive discipline and possible termination. They also expressed other concerns with enforcement of the policy, how it will affect UW-L’s neighbors and the aggressive timeline that they say does not give enough time for smoking cessation assistance or other programs. The Faculty Senate also voted against the original policy. The Academic Staff Council voted in favor of the policy with an amendment to remove the language about infractions being handled as workplace rule violations. Eight were in favor with one abstention. The Student Senate held a referendum April 16 to determine students’ stance. A total of 1,513 students voted with the vast majority — 1,018 — in favor of a No Tobacco Policy. The Student Senate accepted the election results, but did not hold a formal vote on the issue. Some senators expressed concerns with the policy, namely dealing with enforcement. Bertrand says a no tobacco policy benefits the campus in a number of ways. It is good for the university’s image as a fit school, well-known for health programs. It could encourage people to limit their tobacco use or quit, and could also enhance employee productivity, he notes. “They are saying we are taking away the rights of tobacco users,” says Bertrand. “What we are saying in response is that we are giving rights back to non-tobacco users because they don’t have to breathe the smoke in the air or pay higher insurance premiums because of other people who do use tobacco products.” Gow says, since he has been chancellor, a no tobacco policy has crossed his desk once before. At that time it did not have full support and didn’t move forward. “As a person who tries to take good care of my health, I’m certainly eager to cut down on smoking on our campus, yet it’s important that we have a thorough dialog about the best way to implement and enforce a policy that will affect our entire campus community, as well as our neighbors across the street,” says Gow.