Insightful Comments from a NON-SMOKER Who Supports the Ban

I do support a smoking ban on campus.

However a blanket ban on "smoking" as is stated by the "Windward Community College SMOKE-FREE CAMPUS POLICY" (WCCSFCP) is too wide. UH Policy EP 10.102 defines smoking as:

A. "Smoking," as defined in HRS Chapter 328J-1, means inhaling or exhaling the fumes of tobacco or any other plant material, or burning or carrying any lighted smoking equipment for tobacco or any other plant material.

B. "Tobacco product" means any substance that contains tobacco, including, but not limited to, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco." [1]

E-cigarettes do not fall under the definition that the UH system uses to define smoking. That in it self would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that the smoking ban "...is not limited to, the use of cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, cigarillos, and pipes etc."[1]. A ban of this nature includes devices that create smoke and are not under the HRS Chapter 328J-1 definition of smoking. Which brings up the question of what exactly does this proposal ban? The list is considered to be "etc" so who is exactly deciding on what is banned and what is not? As the wording currently stands a chemistry class experiment that may create slightly hazardous smoke will fall under this ban.

On the purpose of the ban proposed in the WCCSFCP part of the purpose is "...(to) reduce administrative costs associated with the burden placed on the college community related to smoking on campus."[2]. However there is no information that is cited on this statement and there is no budget cost of implementing this program. Would it cost more to maintain and implement the complete smoking ban on campus than it is to deal with the burden?

When looking at how this ban will be implemented there is nothing beyond a banning statement and signs around campus. How will this policy be enforced and what are the penalties for breaking it?

Who am I supposed to contact for more information on the proposed smoking ban? This information should have been in your proposal statement.

To: "roy" Comment by Anonymous (ID 1007), Who asked: "...(why) has been no email to the students notifying them of the forum on monday so are they going to have a voice?"[3]

The proposal states "...this policy implements Option 2 of UH executive Policy EP 10.102..."[2] which does not require notification of the student body to these changes, only personnel. Also in the proposal there is this line: "Materials explaining this Policy shall be sent to all employees and will be included with information given to newly admitted students and hired employees."[2], it does not state anything about current students. It does, however, state that "This policy will be communicated to the campus community via the Windward Community College website and campus-wide informational email blasts in its initial implementation..." There is nothing in all three statements requiring notification of current students before the implementation of the policy. This is fitting in that the open-discussion does not allow students to voice their opinion. There may or may not be a purposeful blocking of information here.

5/10, You tried to write a proposal but fell short on meeting all the important aspects. Go take a technical writing class and try again.

[1]http://hawaii.edu/policy/?action=viewPolicy&policySection=ep&policyChapter=10&policyNumber=102&menuView=closed [2]http://windward.hawaii.edu/discussions/2015/Smoke-Free-Open-Forum/WCC-Smoke-free-Policy.pdf

[3]http://windward.hawaii.edu/discussions/2015/Smoke-Free-Open-Forum/

>implying I'm going to put effort into proper citing format beyond source links

>just like your proposal

3/14/2015 3:37 PM