Miami Dade College\u2019s Board of Trustees approved a college-wide smoking ban on April 19.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, now I can quit,\u201d said Tony Kimenyl, a 24-year-old Wolfson Campus student. \u201cEven though I\u2019m a smoker, I think of the secondhand smokers. I don\u2019t mind it being banned because I think it\u2019s going to push me to stop smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ban will prohibit smoking at all MDC facilities. Areas include but are not limited to portions of buildings owned or leased by the College, enclosed hallways, outdoor areas, parking lots, rooftops, plazas, courtyards and entrance and exit ways, according to the Tobacco and Smoke-Free College Policy I-77.<\/p>\n
Any person who works, studies or visits the College will have to leave campus to smoke.<\/p>\n
However, the consequences of not abiding by the policy is unclear.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic safety officers and other College employees will talk to violators of the policy,\u201d said College Provost Rolando Montoya via email. \u201cThose who refuse to collaborate or become chronic violators will be subject to the existing procedures for student and personnel discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new smoking policy is an extension of the existing one established in 1985, prohibiting smoking indoors. However, it wasn\u2019t until 2010 that the proposal to ban smoking outdoors intensified.<\/p>\n
In an email sent by College President Eduardo J. Padr\u00f3n on April 20 said the ban is a \u201cpolicy to promote and foster a healthier and cleaner campus environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad smoking is being outlawed. I have serious asthma problems,\u201d said Wilnard Baker, 19-year-old Wolfson Campus student. \u201cAsides from that, it hurts the o-zone layer, making it hotter, leading to human extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six schools in Florida have completely or partially banned smoking on campus such as including Florida International University, The University of Miami, University of Florida, Edison State College, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences in Orlando and Warner University in Lake Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of other things out there that are more harmful but are not banned. Its contradictory,\u201d said Louis Ortiz, a 22-year-old North Campus student. \u201cAnyhow, they won\u2019t catch me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The College President\u2019s message provided contact information for outside programs that help smokers with quitting the habit, according to Montoya. However, it is still too soon to tell whether or not MDC will provide in-school initiatives for struggling students.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry to quit smoking,\u201d Montoya said. \u201cIf you cannot do it, abstain from doing it [on] College property.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Miami Dade College\u2019s Board of Trustees approved a college-wide smoking ban on April 19. \u201cFinally, now I can quit,\u201d said Tony Kimenyl, a 24-year-old Wolfson Campus student. \u201cEven though I\u2019m a smoker, I think of the secondhand smokers. I don\u2019t mind it being banned because I think it\u2019s going to push me to stop smoking.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7145","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\n