Last year ASB conducted several surveys to see how many students at LBCC are smokers and to decide whether they should remove or relocate the smoking sections on campus.
The results of the survey revealed that few students on campus smoke and that the majority would rather relocate the smoking areas than to remove them altogether.
This past summer, California governor Jerry Brown vetoed a proposed ban on smoking cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products at community college and Cal State campuses.
Long time smoker Brian Schwartz, would not mind the relocation of the smoking area in certain situations.
“I guess I wouldn’t mind a relocation,” Schwartz said. “It kind of depends how far it is because I’ve been at another campus where they didn’t have smoking at all and it was kind of vexing to have to go walk out to the parking lot or having to walk across campus to do it (smoke) is also really annoying.”
The relocation of the smoking areas not only is inconvenient to Schwartz but also has the potential to disrupt his daily routine and community since he spends about an hour a day at the smoking area according to Schwartz.
“I’ve been making friends out here too so I end up just hanging out in the shade waiting for class to start,” Schwartz said.
Some smokers understand the inconvenience and disturbance the smoking area has on non-smokers. Aerospace engineering major Avein Ortiz can resonate.
“Say if I’m not a smoker and I have to walk through this (smoking area) like it’s the easiest way, I would feel that’s kind of annoying because people are smoking and I’m over here walking through all their smoke, that would be annoying to someone who doesn’t smoke I feel,” Ortiz said.
There are six designated smoking areas at LAC that are located on the outskirts of buildings except for the one outside the D building.
Representative of student health and wellness Jocelyn Reyes has been working on a resolution to the complaints of the smoking area outside the D building.
According to Reyes, the majority of the smoking areas are on the outskirts of campus but the one outside the D building is the one she is focused on removing or relocating.
“Its 90% complete, we are going to bring it up to ASB and if it passes through ASB it goes to our board of trustees and then from there they would decide what they would do about that smoking section,” said Reyes.
Reyes expects the resolution to make it to ASB by Oct. and getting to the board of trustees by Nov. of this year.
“It’s definitely going to happen this semester for sure considering the fact that I am almost done with the resolution,” said Reyes.