A policy for electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, will potentially be devised in the near future by the College Council after a survey was sent out by Kate Pipkin, the Executive Director of Communications, to the Goucher community calling for the opinions of students, staff, and faculty about whether the use of e-cigarettes should be covered by the college smoking policy via e-mail on October 23. As of now, it is unclear what the role of the survey will be in helping the College Council, whose role is to advise President Sanford Ungar, or what the final policy about e-cigarettes will entail, if it is agreed that there should be one.
According to the Campus Handbook, the College Council is comprised of the Provost, the Vice President and Dean of Students, the Associate Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, the Executive Director of Communications, the Vice President for Development and Alumnae/I Affairs, the Vice President for Finance, the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Vice President for Technology and Planning, the Special Assistant to the President, the General Counsel, two faculty members, two students, and two administrative staff members.
Laurie Burton-Graham, Goucher's General Counsel, played an integral role in the possible creation of policy regarding e-cigarette usage. "A student sent me an email last spring asking if e-cigarettes were covered by the campus smoking policy. I brought the question to College Council, whose members agreed that a campus-wide survey would be advisable before any decision is made," she said.
Ms. Burton-Graham continued, "To be honest, I'd never heard of e-cigarettes until receiving that e-mail last spring. However, if a question is raised by a member of the college community, we should address it; also, if/as e-cigarettes become more commonly used, it would be helpful for smokers and non-smokers alike to have some clarity about their permitted use on campus.
" The three-question survey, created by Chief Technology Officer Bill Leimbach and sent out by Ms. Pipkin, received 470 responses with a breakdown of 309 students responding (65.7% of the total), 97 staff members (20.6% of the total), and 64 faculty members (13.6% of the total). When asked, "Should the use of e-cigarettes be covered by the college smoking policy?" 160 respondents answered "No," while 310 answered "Yes." Therefore, 66% of the 470 respondents believe that e-cigarettes should be covered by the policy.
A fill-in section was also included in the survey in which students, staff, and faculty were asked to explain the reasoning behind their decision. 380 anonymous responses were received with opinions differing greatly. One respondent wrote, "Although e-cigarettes are technically not cigarettes, the product simulates the dangerous and addicting habit of smoking and, in my opinion, does nothing to help a person quit their addiction. This product constitutes yet another one of society's frustrating loopholes to avoid being responsible for one's actions and as such, does not need accommodation or support by the Goucher community."
Another respondent wrote, "As smoker, I believe that the ban on smoking in public areas was/is focused on second-hand smoke. The e-cigarettes do not pose the same risks to non-smokers as a regular cigarette would, therefore, they should not fall under the same guidelines."
"Electronic or not, they are still cigarettes and can be harmful to students and faculty members who are sensitive to such products. Personally, I suffer from asthma, and it's already hard enough to walk around outside with people smoking in every direction. The buildings are the only place where I know that I do not have to worry about my breathing, so I strongly believe that no exception should be made," writes another respondent. "
I have an e-cig and find it a great way to cut back on actually smoking," said an anonymous source. "There is no flame, combustion, or second hand smoke so I can use it in my dorm room without violating any rules. I do think that smoking an e-cig should be prohibited…in class. While I have never done it, many people ask if I could. I think, however, that it would be extremely distracting to the students as well as disrespectful of the teacher. Despite what others may say, the e-cig is the best anti-smoking aid I've found. Goucher needs to think long and hard about how to treat it. If it is to be treated just like a regular smoke…I might as well go back to smoking real cigarettes."
Ms. Pipkin and Ms. Burton-Graham also offered their opinions on the matter. "Based on what I've read, they seem to be less harmful than cigarettes, especially in terms of second-hand effects; however, they certainly don't seem to be harmless, at least to the person using them. My personal preference, both for health reasons and ease of enforcement, would be to include them under the restrictions of the smoking policy. That being said, although I'm managing the process the final call is not mine to make," said Ms. Burton-Graham.
According to Ms. Pipkin, "To tell you the truth, I really haven't done a lot of research on e-cigarettes, but on a personal level, as an ex-smoker, I have first-hand knowledge of the addictive nature of nicotine, and I view both tobacco and e-cigarettes as an enormous waste of money."
The current smoking policy as described in the 2009-2010 Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy, states, "Smoking is not permitted in any Goucher vehicle or building, including but not limited to residence halls, individual rooms and apartments within residence halls, individual faculty and staff offices, faculty and staff lounges, the Gopher Hole, and the Pearlstone Café. Smoking is also prohibited within 25 feet of any Goucher building."
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