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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1978)
Smoking restricted in state buildings Non-smokers rejoice; smokers say ‘quit hassling us’ By LESLIE RATLEY Of the Emerald While some think House Bill 2423 is a blessing, others con sider it just one more bureaucratic hassle. Either way, the Personnel Division of the State of Oregon is now required to adopt rules re stricting smoking in places of em ployment operated by the state. This policy charges agency administrators as of Jan. 1 with the responsibility of removing health hazards from the work en vironment. The action was sanc tioned by recognized medical au thorities who believe smoking is hazardous to the health and should therefore be “controlled and/or eliminated.” The legislation stipulates that non-smokers employed by the state no longer may be forced to work in a smokey area, and re quires a smoke-free lounge area at specified times during the day for non-smoking employees. Assistant Registrar Wanda Johnson, who is in charge of pol icy coordination, says the legisla tion is addressed to non-smokers. She stresses that at Oregon Hall smoker’s rights are given equal consideration. Both groups have definite rights she says, as she attempts to accommodate everyone in policy formation. However, at times this is difficult to accomplish given the “very emotional" issue of rights, John son says, the dilemma of only one lounge was temporarily solved by establishing an alternating smoking/non-smoking schedule for breaks and lunch. Johnson emphasizes that no one should be forced to breathe smoke-filled air in a working space. Journalism Prof. Jack Hart, a smoker, observes that “activist non-smokers who pass legislation of this sort” are not really helping the smokers. He views smoking as an addiction that should be treated like an addiction to any other drug; that is, the government should fund programs to cure smokers. “Why doesn’t the government quit hassling us and start helping us? Hart asks. "The bill is just more bureaucratic hassle for of fices, especially small ones with only a few rooms and both smok ers and non-smokers. Take for in stance the front office here (jour nalism school) with only two desks — what are they going to do if one person wants to smoke? Put up a fence?” When this query was put to Ray Hawk, vice president of administ ration and finance at the University, he responded “that in a situation like that, the smoker would have to wait until break time and then go somewhere else where it would not be offensive to anyone.” Many people have argued it is a smoker’s right to smoke anywhere at any time, but the position of this bill and the University administra tion, according to Hawk, is “You can do whatever you want to yourself, but you have no right to do it to others. There is undeniable evidence handed down by the surgeon general that smoking is alien to good health, both for the smoker and the non-smoker who must breathe the air. Therefore, a smoker would have to smoke in a place where it would not be offen sive to non-smokers.” Private offices, Hawk feels, complicate the problem if the oc cupant smokes. Smoking is al lowed in private offices, but what happens when someone comes in who is offended by the fumes? Under this legislation, non smokers no longer have to toler ate smoke, even in a private of fice. This is the aspect Hawk be lieves will be challenged in court. The way Hawk has dealt with this legislation was not to hand down “blanket regulations.” The department heads and deans were informed of the general regu lations and the matter was left up to them to handle, according to the requirements of each area. In most areas, there is only one lounge that must be shared by groups of smokers and non smokers. Hawk says it was more reasonable for individual directors to coordinate specific policy for their department than to force con formity to one plan. While this pol icy of “grass roots delegation” won’t produce a uniform Univer sity system, Hawk says, it will ac complish the goal of providing smoke free spaces in an equitable manner. He says the administra Emerald Explosive!!! 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Initial as signment will be in Portland, but candidates must be able to relocate All applicants must be able to communicate effectively — verbaliy and in writing have at least a 3 0 GPA and be willing to assume responsi bility quickly We will be on campus February 6. If you desire a unique management opportunity in a dynamic results-oriented environment we will be scheduling interviews at Susan Campbell Hall Room 246 Additional information is available there also. progress we companies 6300 Wilson Mills Road Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143 An Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F tion is not “trying to codify rules,” all they are attempting to do is “develop behavior patterns so people become more sensitive.” Non-smoking student Marietta Bajer says, “Smoking makes my eyes run and my throat hurt. It’s not fair for people who don’t smoke to forced to be in a smoke filled room. I think this bill is good.” Smoking also annoys John Henly, another student who feels this piece of legislation is “a good thing.” In his opinion, “Smokers don’t think of others who may be offended by them smoking. I know that I wouldn’t want a smoker by me in a working situation.” Lynn Ann Fitch, a smoker, thinks the bill is fair to the point that if people are offended by or aller gic to smoke, they aren't forced to be in the same area, but she feels smokers have just as many rights as non-smokers. She thinks it is a good idea to have separate lounges, because the smokers Emerald graphic wouldn’t be annoyed by the non smokers “coughing and complain ing.” The buildings on campus that this legislation affects most are Johnson and Oregon Halls. All others come under the 1974 smoking restrictions enacted by former University Pres. Robert Clark, that banned smoking in classrooms, public gatherings on campus and all but a few desig nated areas in the EMU. Hawk thinks Oregon Hall is the greatest challenge in which to ar range a satisfactory system due to the large number of people em ployed there. The general public and the periodic auditors must also be accommodated, he says, since they have to breathe that air while conducting their business Johnson says the most impor tant aspect of requiring smoke free work areas “is that it is con ducive to healthy working rela tionships and good morale." The Heart is a lonely hunter. Catch yours. Heart Throbs
