News
Students push to ban smoking on campus
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
KETV.com (Omaha)
Hundreds of students are pushing to outlaw any smoking, including e-cigarettes, across the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus after a two-alarm dorm fire was sparked by a cigarette in February.
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Right now, smoking is allowed 10 feet away from buildings. The people behind a petition hope to change that.
-- Click here to view the petition
"Second-hand smoke is really dangerous," said Corey Kinnan. "Helping people live longer, healthy lives is something I’m passionate about."
The Eta Sigma Gamma member and public-health major is pushing to ban any smoking on campus.
"Right when you get done with your workout, the first thing you smell when you walk out of the building is cigarette smoke,” Kinnan said.
Kinnan said designated smoking zones just aren't enough.
"I can't control the wind,” he said.
-- Video: Students rally against smoking on campus
Emily Fay is one of 700 students who signed the smoking-ban petition Wednesday.
"People shouldn't have to walk in other people's smoke,” Fay said. “There's a park and across the street. I don't think people need to smoke on campus."
Others said an outright ban just isn't right.
"There are plenty of other pollutants in the air,” said Albert Blanco, who is against the ban.
Blanco gave up smoking last year, but he wants a convenient place for students to light up on campus.
"That would be a major inconvenience considering that the majority of people do not want to have to walk all the way across the field and all the way across the street to do that, because non-smokers don't have to do that, and that's immediately discrimination,” he said.
In the students’ spring election, 75 percent of voters said they wanted a smoke-free campus.
"It's just common sense. Why do something that would kill you? It just doesn't make sense to me,” said Yasin Muhammed.
Once organizers get 1,500 signatures, they'll send the petition to the student government, then to the chancellor.
"We're in it for the long haul. As long as this process takes, we'll be here,” Kinnan said.
The group of students started working on the project in the fall but officially launched the campaign in February.
http://www.ketv.com/news/students-push-to-ban-smoking-on-campus/25627822
