Electronic cigarette usage could soon be restricted on Santa Fe College’s campus.
The Career Service Council will discuss and vote on a proposed amendment during a meeting Wednesday that would place e-cigarettes under existing college tobacco rules, said Council Chairwoman Nina Trombi. The amendment would restrict e-cigarette usage to smoking pits on the edges of campus.
The discussion follows approval from the Faculty Senate during its meeting Oct. 6, according to minutes, and approval from the Student Senate during its meeting Nov. 4.
Under current rules, Santa Fe police can issue citations to students who smoke on campus outside the pits, Chief Ed Book said. The amendment would extend those rules to e-cigarettes.
Even if the council votes to amend the rules, Santa Fe’s board of trustees will still have to make the final approval, Trombi added, which may not come until January.
"There’s been concern that students will blatantly be smoking them in the classroom, which is, you know, disrespectful," said Trombi, adding she is one of several members of the council who support the amendment. "Even if we were to find out that there’s absolutely no health issues associated with the vapor, secondhand, it’s still kind of rude, you know, and it’s distracting."
However, Joshua Daigle is one Santa Fe student who isn’t keen on the amendment.
"If they can offer the evidence that the smoke had any of the dangerous or stinky effects of normal cigarettes, then I would approve it," the 28-year-old Santa Fe history senior said as he finished a cigarette at one of the smoke pits.
Sitting across from Daigle, Graham Moore jumped in.
The 25-year-old Santa Fe political science freshman said he’s been using e-cigarettes to quit smoking. However, he said he understands not allowing people to smoke e-cigarettes indoors in places like bathrooms.
"The problem is we wouldn’t even be having this discussion about it if people hadn’t been pricks," Moore said, referring to people who smoke e-cigarettes indoors.
"I think that for people that are trying to use it to quit smoking, (the amendment) could be detrimental," he added.
Contact Hunter Williamson at hwilliamson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @hunterewilliam
