Some students and faculty members remain in opposition of a new tobacco-free policy at Sacramento State.

After last semester’s campaign led by the student-run organization, Hornets for a Healthy Hive, Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez and his staff studied the issue of tobacco use on campus and signed a tobacco-free policy on Dec. 12.

Though he did in fact hear from both Hornets for a Healthy Hive and an opposing group of students called Hornets for a Free and Safe Campus, Gonzalez said he decided to implement the policy to “promote health and wellness and a healthful educational environment at Sacramento State.”

Serving as the voice for students who wanted a tobacco-free campus, Hornets for a Healthy Hive launched a campaign on campus and through social media in September.

After conducting research and retrieving statistics from the student body, including those found by Associated Students Inc., the group presented information to the president’s office.

ASI President Nielsen Gabriel said a poll conducted last spring showed 70 percent of students would approve of a tobacco-free campus.

But many students, including College Republicans President Matt Reed, had their doubts about a tobacco-free campus.

“We were concerned that a voiceless minority group was being targeted,” Reed said. “They had a solution to a nonexistent problem.”

Reed said only 5 percent of students smoke on campus, according to information brought forward by Hornets for a Healthy Hive.

Not only did he voice his opposition at the Hornets for a Healthy Hive town hall meetings, Reed also helped conduct a cigar protest with a bipartisan coalition of more than 70 students including the College Republicans, College Democrats, Young Americans for Liberty, and members of student government.

Though Reed himself is not a smoker, he said universities should not be in the business of banning legal, if unwise, behaviors.

“It’s important to be tolerant of the rights and practices of minority groups with which we many not relate,” Reed said.

Despite the new policy, Reed said he and College Republicans are reviewing options to show their opposition.

According to the Hornets for a Healthy Hive, in a survey of 331 people, only 9 percent of students on campus are smokers. Of the 9 percent, 62 percent say they smoke on campus.

Kate Nicholas, a 29-year-old student in the Master of Social Work program, said although she sometimes smokes on campus, she is understanding of the policy change.

“I understand other people not wanting to be around it, because it’s my bad habit,” Nicholas said. “If they don’t want (smoking on campus) because it’s better for them, I don’t want to make their choice for them.”

Even with students like Nicholas who said they will respect the policy change, there are those who doubt the policy will even be enforced appropriately on campus.

Communication studies professor Val Smith, who was also on the advisory committee to the president regarding the policy change, said he had major concerns, including the enforcement of the new campus rule.

“I told the president that five years from now, I’d be able to pick up as many cigarette butts as (Hornets for a Healthy Hive) did last semester,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s going to stop smoking, in my opinion.”

With regard  to the policy’s effort to get students to stop smoking, Smith said the change is more symbolic than considerate.

“It’s a lot of liberal feel good that isn’t actually going to be enforced, which I think is unfortunate and a waste of time,” Smith said.

Luis Kischmischian, a communication studies major who was a public affairs representative for the Hornets for Healthy Hive, said in October the organization was not telling anyone to quit smoking.

“We’re not trying to take away their rights,” he said. “We’re telling them to respectively stop doing it on our campus.”

Smith said he believes the policy change infringes on the liberty and freedom to those invited to campus who were told smoking was allowed, and it is not a serious effort to decrease smoking, but is instead largely symbolic.

He said if it is serious, then it should be enforced by the Vice President of Student Affairs Lori Varlotta and not through fines.

“When it is in effect, students should be largely aware upon enrollment that this campus is smoke-free,” Smith said. “They want certain smokers on campus like many of the foreign exchange students who pay higher tuition so they will be vague about the policy.”

Director of News Services Kim Nava said this year, Gonzalez has asked the Division of Administrative and Business Affairs to collaborate with appropriate campus stakeholders to draft a comprehensive tobacco policy that covers the ban.

“We will also need to communicate the change in policy to the campus community before it is implemented,” Nava said.