What’s the rationale for the policy?
Lewis & Clark College takes seriously its obligation to provide a safe, healthy environment for all community members and guests. The institution acknowledges and supports the findings of the Surgeon General that tobacco use in any form, active and/or passive, is a significant health hazard. The institution further accepts that environmental tobacco smoke has been classified as a Class-A carcinogen, and that there is no safe level of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. A 2008 survey indicated that 73 percent of responding community members (faculty, staff, and students) wanted a change in where people smoke on campus. The most common complaint was that too many community members are being exposed to second-hand smoke near buildings or along paths of travel. Thirty-two percent of respondents preferred a change to designated smoking areas, 21 percent preferred the campus go smoke-free, and 20 percent favored stricter enforcement of the smoking policy.
