Administrators at UC San Diego to ban smoking, smokeless tobacco on campus

University of California – San Diego (UCSD) administrators are set implement a ban on the use all forms of tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, cigars, and electronic cigarettes, from campus.

UC San Diego is set to ban all tobacco products, starting in September.

The new rule, which is set to take effect on September 1, is part of UCSD administrators’ push to bring the school into compliance with a mandatory ban being put into place by the UC system for all campuses by January 2014.  

According to UCSD’s policy explanation, administrators believe that by moving the compliance date forward by four month they could help  “save lives, improve the environment and contribute positively to the health and well-being of our campus community.”

Not all students at UCSD are thrilled with their administrators’ plans.

Senior Chase Donnally, who is the president of UCSD Young Americans for Liberty, told Campus Reform in an interview on Friday that the smokeless portion of the ban proves that the policy is “less about student health and more about controlling student behavior.

“E-cigarettes are a quitting method,” he said. “They’re not something you start doing; they’re something that you do in order to quit, and if they really cared about student health, it seems like those would be allowed.”

Donnally also said he expects most students to ignore the ban, especially since the administration will not punish students who violate it.

According to the policy, enforcement will be “initially educational,” rather than punitive.  

Smoking on campus is an oft-discussed topic on the UCSD Confessions Facebook page. Many students seem to agree with Donnally, but not everyone — as evidenced from a post dated Feb. 26.

“#1145: I judge people who smoke (especially those who are our age!). Don’t you know that it hurts other people, not just you? It is selfish and stupid- I don’t care how smart you are, getting straight A’s and going on to become an expert in some field.”

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