“There should be some student voice in the decision.”
– Scott Gore, Union director

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago has not yet signed the resolution to ban smoking in the Union and the designated smoking areas remain intact.

Currently, the Union allows smoking in the second-floor lounge, the Recreation Center, the Gasthaus and 8th Note Coffeehouse.

A letter was sent to the chancellor on Oct. 20 from Mary K. Madsen, chair of the Physical Environment Committee (PEC) with a motion to ban smoking in all campus buildings, including the Union.

The administration will take no action until a series of questions are answered by the PEC, said Tom Luljak, vice chancellor for University Relations and Communications.

Before he would act on the proposal, Santiago requested a better understanding of the process the committee followed in reaching its recommendation.

In addition to its origin, the chancellor has a number of questions on how the ban would impact individuals on the campus.

He also requested that the committee set up a mechanism to get ample impact from the UWM community on the smoking ban issue.

The committee is currently gathering more information for the chancellor and is anticipating his decision, Madsen said.

The Union Policy Board has not taken any action, Union Director Scott Gore said. Gore said that he is very interested in allowing the policy board to be part of the study group.

“There should be some student voice in the decision,” Gore said.

Making a decision on the ban will be difficult, he said, noting that the Union serves 5.5 million students on an annual basis.

“The Union is supported by segregated fees and a certain percentage of those that pay for the Union are smokers,” he said.

He advocates a healthier environment but worries about the rights of smokers, citing the Union as the only place on campus for indoor smoking.

Gore said that it is hard to manage a non-smoking facility where there are designated smoking areas. For instance, students who may have asthma may not be able to play pool in the Recreation Center because the smoke would bother them. Also, women on the second-floor lounge are forced to walk through the smoking area in order to get to the bathroom.

Bans have been considered by the PEC in previous years. The most recent discussion by the committee resulted in the smoking ban within 30 feet of any exterior door or air vent, said professor Arthur Brooks, one of the 22 members on the committee.

Brooks cited possible consequences that the campus will face if the ban is not approved by the chancellor, including higher absenteeism from work and classes by individuals whose health is compromised by poor respiratory function and a greater risk of fires on campus.

He also said that there would be fewer alumni who live long and healthy lives that will accumulate great wealth and leave it to UWM for scholarships.

“As a scientist I cannot understand why anyone continues to smoke given the overwhelming evidence that clearly shows smoking to be harmful to one’s health,” Brooks said. “(It) costs the health care system millions of dollars and reduces productivity in the workplace. From the true personal perspective, I watched my father, a life-long smoker, die too young from respiratory failure brought on by his smoking habits.”

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