PC going tobacco free

Staff Writer

Pikeville College announced Friday that the school will be tobacco-free by the fall semester of 2010.

According to a statement, the college’s initiative coincided with the American Cancer Society’s “Great American Smokeout” on Nov. 19 and the new policy has been endorsed by the Pikeville College Board of Trustees and the faculty.

The school’s initiative will begin in January, when smoking will be prohibited in all partially enclosed areas such as covered walkways, breezeways and walkways between buildings and exterior stairways and landings, according to the statement. Smoking is currently prohibited in all Pikeville College buildings, including residence halls.

“Pikeville College, like colleges and universities across the nation, has made the choice to become a tobacco-free campus,” said Pikeville College President Paul Patton. “We believe this policy will promote wellness and provide our students and employees with a safe and healthy environment.”

The decision has not been endorsed by all faculty members, however.

Some students and faculty feel their rights are being infringed upon. One of those students is Cathy Coleman, a social work and psychology major, who says the decision to ban smoking from the school was done without getting student opinions first.

“We have rights as smokers just like people that don’t smoke,” she said. “We’re paying to go to school here and we should be allowed to smoke if we choose to.”

Coleman was sitting on Wickem porch on the campus while talking about the smoking ban and said areas such as the porch would be perfect for a smoking area. The new anti-smoking policy will eliminate smoking in those areas in the offset of the transition to being smoke and tobacco free.

One faculty member, speaking anonymously, said smoking is part of the culture of Appalachia and is a bonding mechanism among students and faculty.

“It’s something we choose to do,” she said. “It’s a way for people to bond together.” She also said the movement to smoke-free facilities is more of a pop-culture issue and is more about doing what is popular at the time, not what is best for the student body and faculty and staff.

Other disagree with her stance, though.

Jeremy Wright, a Letcher County native attending the school, said he prepared a speech for a communications class several years ago regarding the smoking ban in his home county.

“It’s something I’m familiar with and I’m sympathetic to both sides,” he said. “But obviously it is better to go smoke-free. I support the decision.

“I choose not to smoke or be around smoke, so why should I have to endure someone making that choice for me to breath smoke?” he asked.

Wright said he does not think a smoking ban will hurt enrollment at the school, as student are looking at other things such as courses of study, tuition and location before looking at smoking policies, he said. But he said he can see both sides of the debate.

“Smokers are not criminals and one of my concerns is that if someone is caught smoking after the ban, they will be criminalized and be subject to punishment,” he said. Wright also said smoking areas would be a good idea, though. He said a smoking area was established at his high school while he attended it and it solved the problem of students sneaking and smoking in areas where they were not allowed to do so.

Coleman said a petition is being prepared and should start circulating Monday. She says she wants her voice heard.

“There is no democracy in the decision they made,” she said. “We should have a voice in this decision and that’s what we’re working for. We want smoking areas at the school.” She said she knows she is part of the minority but said minorities have rights, too.

No one at Pikeville College could be reached for comment as of presstime Friday.