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Smoking ban petition writers look toward next steps

November 19, 2014
<p>Interdisciplinary studies in social science senior Tylor Bartley takes a cigarette break Sept. 29, 2014, between studying outside of the Main Library. Erin Hampton/The State News</p>

Interdisciplinary studies in social science senior Tylor Bartley takes a cigarette break Sept. 29, 2014, between studying outside of the Main Library. Erin Hampton/The State News

Photo by Erin Hampton | The State News

The change.org petition quickly circulated via social media sites once it was posted by the MSU Anti-Cancer Society. The founder and president of the MSU Anti-Cancer Society Tristan Worthington noted that the petition has rapidly gained more attention than the group expected it would.

“Our plans have really accelerated due to the enormous response,” Worthington said.

The group conducted a survey of MSU students last winter, and discovered that one in four students reported they regularly smoked in some form. The responses included cigarettes, hookah and marijuana.

“This is a big issue, as most students don’t realize that other forms of smoking can be just as bad, if not worse when it comes to lung cancer and carcinogens,” Worthington said.

Part of the reason the group decided to launch their recent petition was to coincide with the month of November being Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Another student group on campus, Spartans Fighting Cancer, will be collaborating with the Anti-Cancer Society to spread awareness.

The members of Spartans Fighting Cancer fully support the effort to have MSU’s campus become smoke-free.

“About half of the other Big Ten schools are smoke-free,” SFC President Sarah Hoffman said. “Isn’t that reason enough for us to be?”

Hoffman and other members of the SFC executive board have worked directly with the American Cancer Society to bring health awareness to campus. As part of the Great American Smokeout, from Tuesday to Thursday of this week, members of SFC will be around Brody and Shaw residence halls to raise awareness for the petition and encourage smokers to quit the habit.

“If we keep pushing this petition and raise awareness, we can show the university that we want a change,” said SFC Director of Growth Katelynn Rendi.

As the petition gains more signatures, the ASC will work on their plan to present a proposition to the Board of Trustees. Worthington met with the University Physician’s Office and believes there is a large interest in making MSU a healthier campus among members of the leadership.

Within the next few months, the group wants to encourage the Board of Trustees to make a referendum to the current policy, which dictates smokers must stand 25 feet from any building, to ban smoking entirely from MSU’s campus.

Although all the plan’s details are not finalized, Worthington suggests employees of University Parking Services could enforce the ban and ticket students who fail to comply.

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