Smoking banned on campus

At least 43 colleges around the nation have banned smoking on campus, according to the Americans for Non-Smokers' Rights Web site.

According to the site, this trend is rising mostly among community colleges and commuter schools.

Thirty-one percent of college students smoke, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is higher than the national overall average of 25 percent.

According to a press release, San Diego Mesa College was the third community college in California to ban smoking on campus. The ban was sparked by a student who had severe asthma and said the smoke on campus was making her sick. The campus was officially smoke-free in January.

"I wish I didn't smoke," said Justin Bates, a CIS, math, physics, and engineering major at CRC. Bates said he took up smoking to help him deal with the stress of college and it would make school even more difficult if he had to go off campus to smoke.

Tequoya Pitts, a theatre major at CRC, said she doesn't mind the smoking on campus as long as smokers "stay the required 30 feet away from the buildings."

"If they ban smoking on campuses then they should have at least one designated area out in the open for smokers to go to," said Ryan Estomo, an undecided major at CRC. "I don't see anything wrong with smoking outside."

According to a report of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, second-hand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals, and is known to be a human carcinogen.

Brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse affects on the cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer, according to the report.

The report states that because second-hand smoke is generated at lower temperatures and under different conditions than mainstream smoke, it contains higher concentrations of toxins found in cigarette smoke.

"I think banning smoking on campus is a real good idea," said Brian Brookes, 23, a psychology major. Brookes said cigarette smoke aggravates his asthma. "I see people smoking on campus all the time and the smell annoys me. I would support the ban."