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AT UC SAN DIEGO STUDENTS GRAB A SMOKE BEFORE HITTING THE BOOKS.
SMOKING IS PERMITTED ON CAMPUS UNDER CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
PEOPLE CAN'T SMOKE IN DOORS OR WITHIN 25 FEET OF AN ENTRYWAY.
SMOKING IS ALLOWED AT THE AREA NEAR THE LIBRARY. AND PARKING LOTS AND ON CAMPUS SIDEWALKS AND
PATHWAYS. THAT IS ALL GOES TO END ON SEPTEMBER 1ST WHEN
UC SAN DIEGO WILL GO COMPLETELY SMOKE FREE. KAREN IS IN CHARGE OF WELLNESS SERVICES FORCE
STUDENTS AND SAYS A FEW YEARS AGO STUDENTS CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF LIMITING SMOKING
TO A FEW AREAS ON CAMPUS. >> BUT THEN IN 2011 THERE WAS A MEETING AT
THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF THE UC.
AND WE WERE DISCUSSING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WELLNESS INITIATIVE AND SMOKING CAME UP.
AND THE QUESTION AROSE, WHY ARE WE STILL SMOKING ON CAMPUS?
AND WE ALL THOUGHT WE SHOULDN'T BE. >> REPORTER: THEY FORMED A SUBCOMMITTEE AND
PRODUCED A PAPER ADVOCATING THE ENTIRE UC SYSTEM GO SMOKE FREE.
UCREGENTS AGREED AND THEY SENT A LETTER TO CHANCELLORS ANNOUNCING THE BAN AND GAVE THE
UNIVERSITIES TWO YEARS TO PREPARE FOR IT. SHE SAYS UC SAN DIEGO IS READY TO LEAD THE
WAY THIS FALL. >> SMOKING IS THE NUMBER ONE HEALTH HAZARD
THAT LEADS TO LAST YEAR THEY WERE INVOLVED ON A CLEANUP ON CAMPUS AND STUDENTS COLLECTED 24,000 BUTTS IN ONE HOUR.
>> THEY ARE EVERYWHERE AND THEY BLEND IN VERY WELL AND THEY ARE NOT BIODEGRADABLE AND SHOULD
NOT LITER AND IT'S BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH AND HOW BAD IT IS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TOO.
>> REPORTER: STUDENTS HEARD ALL ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF SMOKING.
STILL, HE BELIEVES STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SMOKE ON CAMPUS.
>> IF YOU DON'T LIKE SMOKE GO AWAY FROM IT, IT'S THAT SIMPLE.
>> YEAH. >> THIS IS EVERYBODY'S AIR.
YOU KNOW. >> REPORTER: AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH
DESIGNATED SMOKING AREAS. >> YOU GO TO A LIBRARY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE
A QUIET PLACE, AND YOU GO TO THE SMOKE AREA TO SMOKE AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THERE
IS RULES FOR EVERY LOCATION AND PLACE AND TIME.
THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE FOR EVERYTHING. >> REPORTER: SAN DIEGO STATE DR. THOMAS DOES
NOT SEE THINGS THAT WAY. HE IS A FORMER ASSISTANT SURGEON GENERAL AND
WORKED ON TOBACCO CONTROL AND WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING PEOPLE FROM SECOND‑HAND SMOKE
DESIGNATED AREAS DO NOT CUT IT. >> WHAT WE KNOW DOES WORK IS WHEN YOU BAN
IT COMPLETELY AND GOING HALFWAY DOESN'T WORK AND SO THAT IS WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO HAVE A COMPLETELY SMOKE FREE CAMPUS AND NOT DESIGNATED AREAS.
WHAT WE KNOW IS IT DIDN'T WORK IN RESTAURANTS AND DIDN'T WORK IN AIRPLANES AND DIDN'T WORK
IN WORK SITES. THE WAY IT WORKS IS TO SAY THERE IS NO SMOKING
HERE AND PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR. >> REPORTER: IN JANUARY THE ACADEMIC SENATE
OF THE CAL STATE SYSTEM PASSED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR CAMPUSES TO GO SMOKE FREE.
THE SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY SENATE WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE THIS SPRING.
SMOKE‑FREE CAMPUSES ARE NOT A NEW IDEA AND MESA WENT SMOKE FREE IN 2007.
NATIONWIDE THERE ARE 1100 SMOKE‑FREE CAMPUSES. UC SAN DIEGO'S KAREN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO
ADDING HER SCHOOL TO THE LIST. >> AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A TIME WHEN
I WITH WALK ACROSS CAMPUS AND NOT SMELL SMOKE AND I'LL BE GLAD TO HAVE THAT WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
>> KENNY GOLDBERG WITH KPBS NEWS.