Will Philly colleges ban smoking?

THE CITY University of New York (CUNY) last week banned smoking on all 23 of its campuses, including outdoors. The ban has Philadelphia students asking - could this happen here?

It already did. In September 2008, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education imposed a ban at its 14 campuses. But the ban was overturned less than a year later by the state Labor Relations Board, which ruled the state system should have negotiated with faculty unions before introducing the ban.

The state system could have appealed the decision but decided against it, said Kenn Marshall, a system spokesman.

"Instead, universities were encouraged to talk to faculty and student groups and form their own policies on a campus-by-campus basis," Marshall said.

Smoking among 18- to 24-year-olds increased from 21.4 percent in 2008 to 21.8 percent in 2009, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raising concerns. Those numbers are slightly higher than the percentage of smokers in the population overall, 20.6 percent.

After the Pennsylvania state-system ban was overturned, some campuses established more stringent regulations while most returned to previous policies - which only prohibit smoking within 20 feet of building entrances.

Luke Jarvis, 22, of West Chester University, was happy to see the ban snuffed out.

"The ban didn't work at all," Jarvis said. "Everyone kept smoking, but [the university] took away all the ashtrays. There were cigarette butts everywhere."

There are no signs that local universities plan to duplicate the CUNY ban.

"The New York ban is very interesting, but there are currently no plans to alter our university smoking policy," a spokeswoman for Temple University said.

Temple prohibits smoking inside university buildings, university-owned vehicles and within 20 feet of all entrances.

Many Temple students feel that even if there were an outright ban, it would not make the campus smoke-free.

"I'd like to think I would go off campus to smoke if it were banned, but if it was right before an exam, I might just go outside," said Roy Roberts, a senior at Temple University. "I don't know how they'd enforce that at such a large school."

Nor do Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania or Drexel University have any plans to expand their smoking policies. Drexel freshman Shelby Hart, 18, sympathizes with CUNY smokers, although she doesn't smoke herself.

"It's [a student's] choice," Hart said. "If they want to smoke, and it isn't bothering anyone, let them smoke."

But some Drexel students, like Tinac Xing, 20, who admittedly "hates smoking," feel bothered by their comrades lighting up on campus.

"It should be banned," Xing said. "I would definitely support that."

"The question schools face is: What is the role of tobacco in an academic instution?" said Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights. "More schools are recognizing that addiction, disease and death should not be a part of the campus experience."

While no imminent changes are expected, some local schools may keep their eye on the success of the CUNY ban.

"It isn't planned right now . . . but a change to the smoking policy is not outside the realm of possibility," a University of Pennsylvania spokeswoman said.

Here are the smoking policies at some area colleges:

* Penn and West Chester: No smoking inside university buildings, university-owned vehicles and within 20 feet of all entrances.

* Drexel: No smoking in any university buildings and within 20 feet of all entrances. Selling tobacco products on campus is also prohibited, and university-sponsored activities held off campus remain smoke-free.

* Saint Joseph's: Smoking is only permitted in designated outdoor locations.