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The sight of students and faculty huddled outside buildings for smoking breaks may be a thing of the past if Towson implements a policy making campus smoke free.
Following a request from the president's council last month, the Substance Education and Concerns Committee is creating a formal recommendation for Towson President Robert Caret.
Caret, who smoked for 14 years before quitting, doesn't like the way some smokers behave at TU. He said he's not trying to stop people from smoking, but he doesn't like cigarette butts that litter campus or the secondhand smoke others must tolerate.
"What I won't let them do is force others to live with their habit. I really resent the way they're treating the campus," Caret said.
Jana Varwig, chair of SECC and associate vice president for student affairs, said it is the committee's intention to look at other schools and get feedback from Towson faculty, staff and students about the idea.
"We hope to have a recommendation back to the president's council by the end of the fall semester," Varwig said.
Towson will need to address certain issues before a ban could be implemented.
"The two biggest issues as we go forward are: where will smokers go? And number two is enforcement. If we were to go to [a non-smoking campus] what are the consequences if you do smoke?" Jerry Dieringer, assistant vice president and director of housing and residence life, said.
Smoking has been forbidden in buildings for years. Three years ago, Towson adopted a policy that required smokers to move at least 30 feet away from building entrances.
"It seemed to have a fair amount of success," Dieringer said. "There have been some problems. Generally it worked pretty well."
Some students ignore the rule, choosing to smoke directly outside Linthicum Hall and other buildings.
Dieringer said the policy doesn't have a strong enforcement mechanism, an issue that would need to be looked at with this policy as well.
"Needless to say, as long as there are smokers and non-smokers, there are going to be issues of where it's appropriate," he said.
Dieringer said a committee will be formed to help create the policy recommendation. The committee will look for significant student input.
"We will have a task force made up of different members of the University to take a look, and make a recommendation," Dieringer said.
Towson University is the only institution of the Towson Four Partnership that allows smoking.
In January 2006 GBMC Healthcare banned smoking. In September 2006 St. Joseph Medical Center did the same. Staffers from St. Joseph can now be found on the edges of the property. The Sheppard Pratt Health System also banned smoking.
Ben Hagar, a sophomore history major and smoker, said the ban wouldn't stop him from smoking.
"Yeah, there's a lot of cigarette butts on the ground, but it's a free country," Hagar said. "I don't think it's hurting anyone."
Rosita Acevedo, a graduate student and non-smoker, said educational institutions for younger students already don't allow smoking on the premises. She would be in favor of the ban on campus.
"I think it would be fine. I think most of the state of Maryland is going toward the non-smoking environment," Acevedo said.
Freshman smoker Gary Brinton said he doesn't think banning smoking outdoors is a good idea.
"We have a pretty large smoking community at Towson," Brinton said. "Yeah, smoking isn't good for you but it's our choice."
Chris Veckman, an EMF major and smoker, said he wouldn't abide by a smoking ban.
"It [would] work just as well as the 30 foot rule. It's my choice not theirs," he said.
Melissa Springer, a freshman health care management major and a smoker for about a year, also said she doesn't think a policy banning smoking on campus is fair. She said it wouldn't convince her to quit.
"I'd probably go right across the street," Springer said.
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