A Southwestern College student who refused to give his name smokes with classmates on campus. SWC has banned smoking and, after a grace period, will issue citations. Photo By Nathaniel Park
Southwestern College’s governing board has kicked butts off campus.
This fall SWC is a smoke-free campus following a unanimous vote by the board.
Satellite centers in San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and National City will also ban cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
To ease the transition, college administrators said they have developed a plan to educate students and employees that SWC is now smoke-free through signs and friendly reminders, said Academic Senate President Patti Flores-Charter.
“Now is the period of time for explaining that there is a ban, that it is on college property, and that it includes cigarettes and electronic cigarettes,” she said. “Through community policing one would first let whoever is smoking know we have a comprehensive ban and you cannot do it anywhere, and that we do not want whoever is smoking to receive a citation.”
SWC has worked with the American Lung Association to promote the ban and provide information for smokers who want to quit, according to Public Information Officer Lillian Leopold.
“Why reinvent the wheel when we know organizations already have them?” she said,
“What we’ve decided this semester is to do an outreach and education campaign.”
Leopold said 60 no smoking signs have been posted and 40 more will be installed by the end of the semester. Information on how to quit smoking are being distributed she said and banners are to be hung around school entrances.
SWC Chief of Police Michael Cash said verbal warnings are in effect.
“We want people to have awareness of the ban,” he said.
“We want to make sure we give them ample time to change and get used to it.”
Citations will not be given out this semester, Cash said.
“The third step is enforcing, giving citation and misconducts,” he said, “We will not see this for a couple of semesters, since we are still in the educational phase.”
Cash said the ban aims to create a healthier school.
“Smoking affects our whole student body so we have to change and educate them that this is a health issue,” he said, “We must create an environment that is healthy for everyone.”
