Oct. 1 will mark the third anniversary of Bucks’
Clean Air Community policy that restricts smoking to
specific areas, but smokers are still unhappy.
Recently the area behind Founders Hall has become
the college’s unofficial smoking section, despite signs
prohibiting doing so.
The violators are annoyed smokers who don’t want
to relocate to the designated smoking areas. Nonsmokers
are complaining about the clouds of smoke
rising from various areas on campus.
Smoking cigarettes is restricted to parking lots A, B,
C, D, E, F and H located beyond Linden Lane and
Employee Road.
For most smokers these parking lots are about a five
minute walk, usually in the opposite direction from
where they need to be going.
The smoking regulations are often broken and many
students are sometimes confused as to where they can
and cannot smoke. When asked his opinion on the
smoking restrictions, John Margicin, 19, said “Wait,
we can’t smoke here?”
Security guards often choose to look the other way
when students smoke cigarettes in non-smoking
areas.
Matt Jobs, a 25-year-old smoker and journalism
major at Bucks, said, “It’s not fair when I can’t smoke
a cigarette between classes because I need to walk to
a smoking section.”
Many students agree with Jobs on this point.
Rules could possibly be modified to fit needs of
smokers by allowing them to smoke more freely.
“As long as they aren’t smoking in crowded areas or
in front of entrances it doesn’t bother me,” said nonsmoker
Tyler Ferrera, 18.
Some non-smokers at Bucks are more supportive of
smoking restrictions.
Jacqueline Quenzer, 25, pre-allied health major,
from Langhorne, said, “It is rude for smokers to carelessly
blow smoke towards me and I have to inhale
smoke and smell of cigarettes for the next couple
hours.”
Kelsey Macintyre, 18, speech therapy major, said
“One place it is agreeable to restrict smoking would
be next to the children’s playground.”
The playground is part of the Early Learning Center
building which is coincidentally right next to the popular
smoking spot behind Founders Hall.
Students are hopeful that a rational solution for
smokers and non-smokers can be reached.