UCF to go smoke free by fall 2012

On Thursday, students placed pinwheels on Memory Mall and surprised those gathered in the Student Union with bubbles to show support of smoke free UCF.

The supporters wore light blue shirts that said, "I support UCF going smoke free."

The pinwheels and bubbles were props to represent clean air. Students were encouraged by signs and students supporting smoke free UCF to "take a pinwheel to show your support of smoke free campus 2012."

At 12:20 p.m. the supporters simultaneously began to blow bubbles in the Student Union rotunda. The supporters had a large audience since there was a Student Government Association rally going on in the same place at the same time. SGA announced to the students gathered in the rotunda that the bubble were to support smoke free UCF.

This was no petition though, on Oct. 27, 2011 UCF president John Hitt, announced in his State of the University address that UCF was going smoke free.

The goal is to have UCF completely smoke free by fall 2012.UCF Health Services said they're committed to providing a healthy learning environment for students, employees and visitors.

Mary Petiprin, a tobacco prevention specialist, attended the event to answer questions.

"There is no safe amount of second hand smoke," she said.

According to UCF Health Services, approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the U.S. as a result of secondhand smoke.

Megan Pabian, the coordinator of university relations and public affairs at UCF Health Services, said there were about 100 bubble blowers and 50 t-shirts.

"This is about promoting a healthy campus so that no matter where students are they have a healthy environment."

She also said we can expect to see more advertising for smoke free UCF in an effort to help ease everyone into the policy before the fall of 2012.

Currently UCF students can smoke outside as long as they are 15 feet from the doorways. Under the new policy there will be absolutely no smoking on any of UCF's campuses.

UCF Health Services smoke-free policy FAQ's says that "this policy will apply to anyone who is on UCF property, this includes all UCF employees, students, visitors, contractors/vendors and others.'"

There will be no designated smoking areas on campus.

"No smoking on campus at all…not even outside housing," Pabian said.

She said they have been trying to get this initiative passed for at least three years. In a perception survey done two years ago, Pabian said, "the response was overwhelmingly for UCF to go smoke free." It has taken two years to work out a policy and make this happen.

No one will be ticketed or fined for smoking on campus. The responsibility of enforcing the policy will rest upon individuals on campus.

Members of the UCF community are encouraged to remind those smoking on campus that this is a nonsmoking environment, and to discard the smoke product.

Christine Polintan a sophomore micro and molecular biology major, is a supporter of a smoke-free campus.

"This might not apply to everyone, but I am a runner and it [smoking on campus] annoys me," Polintan said.

Not everyone is excited about the smoke-free policy. Samantha Spiers, a freshman, biomedical sciences student, and other students were working the Smoke Free UCF tent outside the Student Union.

She thinks the majority of people like the policy, but she said there have been students who come up to the tent and argue about it. A student waiting outside the student union said "I don't smoke and I don't want people to smoke inside but you can't tell someone they can't smoke outside in an open area."

The University of Florida was one of the first colleges to go smoke free in the state of Florida. As of Oct. 7, 2011 there are at least 586 campuses nationwide that are 100 percent smoke free.

"This move aligns us with several community partners, such as Orange County government and Florida Hospital, who are already heading in this positive direction," Hitt said at the State of the University address.

Be expecting to have a smoke free campus next fall.