Maria College will be first smoke-free campus in region

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Deborah Corrigan, dean of students at Maria College in Albany, was used to non-smoking students complaining that they disliked having to walk through a haze of smoke outside the main doors to get to their classrooms.

“It was really bothersome to them, which is understandable,” said Corrigan.

Then last September, Judy Rightmyer, director of the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition in Troy, approached the college about becoming the first smoke-free campus in the Capital Region.

On Saturday, the World Health Organization’s “World No Tobacco Day,” Maria College will end all smoking on campus in an effort to promote the health and well-being of all who work and study at the college.

“When the administrative team decided last year to go tobacco-free, we posted signs and information all around the college,” explained Corrigan.

Additionally, the college handed out smoking cessation aids, gave instruction on relaxation exercises that could be helpful when giving up smoking and offered smoking cessation workshops.

For their efforts and commitment, Maria received a leadership award from the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition, recognizing the college for adopting “the first comprehensive tobacco-free policy in the Capital Region.”

Smokers not resistant

When Corrigan approached several students who were smokers, she was surprised to learn they didn’t seem to mind that much.

“Now I don’t know if that will change,” she said. “But I do know that we have had a lot fewer smokers on campus this year than in previous years.”

Corrigan estimated that of the approximately 800 students at Maria College, only about 10 percent are smokers.

“Maybe the students are aware that there are so many places where you can’t smoke, and the price of cigarettes is so high, it’s motivating them to quit,” she said.

Rightmyer said she contacted several colleges in the Capital Region last September about having a tobacco-free campus, and Maria College was the first to respond positively.

“Maria College is a college that trains nurses and a lot of other health professionals. So I think they thought it was the right thing to do,” said Rightmyer. “The faculty and staff were very committed to it.”

Rightmyer said New York state is a leader in the country with tobacco-control programs.

So far, Rightmyer said Maria College is the only college to have a total smoke-free campus.

“We’ve had some interest from some other colleges, but we are still in the talking stages,” said Rightmyer. “Just like when the hospitals went smoke-free on their campuses, there’s some fear about how you are going to enforce it. Then you find out that most people just follow the rules.”

Dennis McDonald, vice president for student affairs at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, said the college went to smoke-free buildings in 1998. Last July, the college identified seven areas outside away from buildings where people could smoke.

“Then in the beginning of the spring semester, we set up three gazebos on campus that would be smoking areas for people, students and faculty alike,” said McDonald. “Overall, people are pretty compliant.”

Students or faculty who are walking across the campus are also allowed to smoke as long as they put their cigarettes out in repositories that are set away from the buildings, said McDonald.

Proceeding in stages

The college has no immediate plans to end all smoking on campus, he added.

“It has been discussed,” said McDonald. “But we feel we need to do this in stages. So the first thing is to get people to comply with not smoking near the buildings.”

Pat Oles, dean of student affairs at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, said students are not permitted to smoke indoors, but they can smoke outside on the campus. The school is not considering going to a smoke-free campus in the near future, said Oles.

Sheila Carmody, spokeswoman at the Sage Colleges in Troy and Albany, said smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of any building entrance or exit or under any covered walkway or overhang. They have no plans to go to a smoke-free campus in the near future, she said.

Heather Meaney, public relations specialist for Schenectady County Community College, said smoking is prohibited in all college buildings, as well as entrances to buildings, the quad area and campus walkways. Smoking is only permitted in two external shelters on the campus and the parking lot. The college has no plans to go to a smoke-free campus, she said.

Michael Parker, assistant director for media relations at the University at Albany, said smoking is prohibited in all dorm rooms and buildings and within 25 feet of any building entrances or air vents. The college has no plans to go to a smoke-free campus.

“We’ve had some informal discussions among groups, but nothing has been formalized,” said Parker.

Amy Tucker, media relations assistant at Union College, said smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas at the college and within 25 feet of any residential building exit, entrance or operable window. The college has no immediate plans to go to a smoke-free campus.

“They are very strict about not smoking in the buildings and making sure that you are away from the buildings,” said Tucker. “But no one has mentioned anything like a smoke-free campus.”

Janet Gianopoulos, spokeswoman for Siena College in Loudonville, said there is no smoking allowed in any indoor area of the college or in any college-owned vehicles.

“As far as exterior smoking, it’s not prevalent at all these days, said Gianopoulos. “I don’t think we see a need for any change in the existing policy, because smoking is just rare on campus. I think smoking has decreased tremendously.”