As other California State Universities are quickly planning and implementing their ideal smoke-free campuses, a committee at CSU East Bay is looking for ways to incorporate student involvement in the implementation of such a decision.

CSU East Bay’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs committee, chaired by Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Stan Hebert, has been discussing the logistics of becoming a smoke-free campus for some time now, said Martin Castillo, director of university dining and parking services.

Since the smoke-free policy came about on Jan. 23 through the CSU Academic Senate, the CSU system has asked all CSU campuses to have an advisory group, like the ATOD, to address issues of alcohol abuse, underage drinking and other drug abuse, including prescription drugs and all forms of smoking on their university campuses.

As of April 5, 2013, at least 1,159 college or university campuses in the U.S. have adopted 100 percent smoke-free campus policies on the entire campus, including residence housing, according to the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights website.

“In our recent meetings, which have been occurring once a quarter, we’ve been embracing an initiative for reducing smoking or possibly looking at a no smoking on campus direction,” said Hebert.

Hebert explained, at CSUEB it is a matter of educating students, creating an ideal enforcement tactic, and making sure that the plans are executed in a timely manner with student participation.

“First, we looked at what’s going on on other campuses and saw that the first factor in implementing such a policy would be to create an awareness for the existing smoking laws,” said Hebert.

Currently, students who smoke, must keep a 20 foot distance from all buildings when smoking. And students can smoke in parking lots and on campus sidewalks.

After years of tolerance for smoking on the CSUEB campus, Hebert mentioned that, due to the negative health risks and global impact of cigarettes, an identification of the impact of cigarette butts on campus was necessary.

“During Earth Week last year, students collected bags and bags of cigarette butts in empty water containers in order to show the significant environmental impact of the cigarettes,” said Hebert. “Not many students know that they are not supposed to stand in front of Starbucks and smoke, but they do anyway.”

Based on their research and observations, Hebert said ATOD will eventually  produce a few recommendations to the implementation of the university’s new smoking policies.

“After the initial feedback from President [Leroy] Morishita, we then would need a period of time to get campus and community feedback,” said Hebert. “Following that, certain implementation steps would be made.”

Hebert spoke of designated smoking areas with insulation as one of the transition phases towards a smoke-free CSUEB campus.

“We don’t want to say go out in the cold and smoke, there should be some sufficient areas on campus for smokers, especially at times when it’s raining,” said Hebert.

Hebert stated that smoking cessation programs on campus need to increase their visibility so students who smoke can get the support they need in order to transition to smoke-free campuses.

The CSU Academic Senate will be discussing further plans to ban smoking on all CSU campuses by the year 2014.