Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Smokers cloud campus

Rebecca Thompson

rjthompson1@vwc.edu

Most Virginia Wesleyan students who live in Village III have gotten used to walking through clouds of smoke to get out of their buildings. Students often congregate around the school-provded rocking chairs and light up their cigarettes together.

“It’s a social thing,” said senior Heather Klau.

No matter what day of the week it is, students can be found outside smoking together. With ash smeared rocking chairs and butt-littered grounds, some students are getting annoyed “I don’t want to get lung cancer just from walking to class every day,” said Village III resident Melisa Okenka. “It’s even worse on the weekends. Smokers form this huge pack and you can barely get around them.”

According to Virginia Wesleyan’s current smoking policy, “for your health and in consideration of others, and in order to meet the air quality standards set forth by the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration,” it is a smoke-free campus. “Smoke-free campus,” however, just means that students can smoke outside.

Okenka was looking forward to the National Great American Smokeout on Wednesday, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Smokers are encouraged to quit for one day in the hope that they will eventually quit forever. “I’m a little embarrassed,” said school nurse Mary Cureton. “VWC did not participate in the Great American Smokeout this year.”

Cureton, who has handfuls of programs to run each semester, could not find the time to put together this annual event.

“I am hoping for more students to know about the Great American Smokeout next year,” said Okenka. “I know I am not the only one.”

Cureton will find students to help her get the Great American Smokeout together for next year.

“I realize smoking is just as big a problem on VWC’s campus as any other college,” said Cureton.

Cureton said it is a big health issue just to have to walk by smokers.

“Secondhand smoke is more dangerous than most people realize,” said Cureton. “It contains carbon monoxide and ammonia … No amount of secondhand smoke is healthy.”

She said that the students who congregate to smoke outside campus housing form an “elite group” that subtly peer-pressures other students to smoke.

“You would be included more,” said Cureton.

Cureton is always willing to help students in their efforts to quit cmoking and has a plethora of pamphlets and information regarding smoking.

“Smoking is the one thing we have a choice about,” said Cureton. “If you inherit heart disease then there’s nothing you could have done about it, but you choose to smoke.”

Although the Virginia Wesleyan College campus still has smokers, Cureton says they have come a long way.

“You used to able to smoke in the dorms,” she said. Cureton said it must have been annoying to have to worry about clothing and other things stinking like cigarette smoke.

She used to get complaints about smoke in dorms but no longer has to worry about that issue.

She has proposed a 50 foot rule to the college several times. That would mean that smoking within 50 feet of any campus building is prohibited.

“Other campuses enforce this rule, and I think VWC should, too,” said Cureton.

She said it is not as easy as people think to get the message across that smoking is dangerous.

“It’s one thing to tell them,” said Cureton. “It’s another thing to have them understand.”

Cureton is always available to talk about how to quit smoking or how to help educate others about the effects of smoking. Her office is located in Health Services in Village II.