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UCDSU plan to hold referendum to ban smoking on campus
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Campus could be smoke-free by October 2014
UCD Students’ Union are holding a referendum to decide the student position on UCD becoming a smoke-free campus. If the proposed plans were to be enforced it would see smoking banned on campus with students and staff having to walk to the entrances of UCD for a cigarette.
The issue was raised at a UCD Health Promotion Committee where Students’ Union President Mícheál Gallagher was in attendance. The group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) who advocated for the smoking ban in bars, put forward the motion to the committee who “unanimously supported the concept of a smoke-free campus, ” according to a UCD spokesperson.
Gallagher, the only student representative on the committee, told the College Tribune that the Students’ Union want to develop its different policies on diverse topics that might be controversial in conjunction with students in an effort to “get students’ feedback.”
It was agreed between the Students’ Union and the Health Promotion Committee that a referendum would help both parties get a clear message from students on this issue.
The College Tribune has spoken to many students on the matter and their response has been varied. Cillian Fearon, a 3rd year arts student, stated his opinion on the referendum saying that “it would be a great idea in theory to make UCD a smoke-free campus, however, I don’t think it would be practical to enforce given the size of the campus.”
“If a poll showed that the majority of students were bothered by people smoking then fair enough, but to ban it completely when no one has spoken out against it is crazy,” said Jessie Reynolds, a 3rd year student and ex-smoker.
Emma Costello, a 3rd year arts student, said that “a smoke free UCD will not better the college, you’ll end up with irritated students who will be late for lectures, tutorials and such by having to walk to the entrances to have a ‘quick smoke’.”
Although students feel strongly on the matter, Gallagher told the College Tribune that “it doesn’t look like anything will happen until October 2014.”
