Throughout the month of October, SGA senators have been passing around a smoke-free campus petition for students to sign.

If passed by Senate, the smoke-free campus petition would require a no-cigarette smoking rule on campus.

Senate chose to start the petition because of the results they received earlier this month from the UNA Smoke Free Referendum Survey students were required to complete in order to cast their vote for  this year’s Homecoming Court.  

SGA Senate Pro-Tempore Sarah Emerson initiated the student petition after repeated comments she heard on campus, she said.

“I wanted to start this petition because of how UNA is seen and experienced by students,” Emerson said. “I hear LaGrange members saying that they had to walk a tour right where smokers are and hearing students complaining about having smoke blown in their face while they are walking to class.”

Of the 832 voters, 68 percent voted in favor of adopting a smoke-free policy, 18 percent were not in favor and 14 percent had no opinion, according to the survey.

“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback, most of it being positive, and a lot of students are also passionate about this,” Emerson said. “There are students that are saying it is your right if you want to smoke but what is interesting is most of our students do not smoke.”

 Magan Fromhold, a senior at UNA, signed the smoke free campus petition in favor of campus courtesy, she said.

“I feel that students shouldn’t have to walk through a group of students smoking at the entrance of a building,” Fromhold said. “If the rule of no smoking within 30 feet of a building entrance was enforced my opinion might change.”

Student Trey Alexander does not believe the petition has any merit on a college campus, however.

“This isn’t a high school, we are a university and almost everyone at this university is of age to smoke,” Alexander said. “I am not a smoker, but I do not want to take away someone else’s rights.”

SGA senators are currently in talks with UNA Police Chief Bob Pastula and Director of Student Conduct and Student Affairs Assement Kimberley Greenway as preparation for the possibility of the bill passing, Emerson said.

“I am talking to Chief Pastula and Kimberley Greenway (Director of Student Conduct and Student Affairs Assessment) for ways that we can enforce this since it is a primary concern of students,” Emerson said. “The first thing we would do is place signs all over campus and a system that would hold our students accountable.”

 Another concern about the smoke free campus petition is if it would apply to students who live on campus. In upcoming years, all freshmen will be required to live on campus during their first year at UNA.

“With the feedback that we received from the Homecoming survey, we are looking to include the areas around the residents halls,” Emerson said. “The areas around the residents hall are where most of the smoking on campus happens.”

15 college campuses have gone smoke free in Alabama, according to the American NonSmokers’ Rights Foundation. Since the factsheet was release, the University of Alabama-Huntsville and the University of Alabama in Birmingham have also gone smoke free on their campuses.

SGA Senate’s goal is 1,000 faculty and student signatures. If they reach this goal, Senate will propose a bill to make UNA a smoke free campus and vote on it.

SGA Senators will be taking signatures for the petition until Oct. 31.