Now, it’s your turn to ‘clear the air.’ Launched Jan. 27 and 28, a campuswide survey exploring opinions on the future of smoking at the institution continues the university’s consultation process into the issue.
Last week, members of the university community received an email inviting them to participate in the institution’s first on-campus survey on smoking. If you prefer a paper copy of the survey, contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwo.ca.
The anonymous survey will be available until Friday, Feb. 19.
“I have found that if you ask, most people have an opinion or observation about smoking on campus” said Ann Hutchison, Senior Human Resources Adviser. “This survey gives smokers and non-smokers a chance to have a voice heard on this important topic.”
Details of the survey results will be made available in the future on this website.
Among the questions on the table:
- What more should Western do to clear the air for non-smokers?
- Should Western make changes that would only allow smoking in certain designated areas?
- Should Western make a plan to go smoke- and tobacco-free?
Western’s current policy bans smoking in university buildings, as well as within 10 metres of building entrances, loading docks and fresh air intakes. Building entrances, especially those outside Weldon and Western Student Services Building, have historically been the biggest point of contention between smokers and nonsmokers.
In October, Western launched its Let’s Clear the Air Here campaign to engage the university community in a conversation about smoking policies on campus. As part of that discussion, the university implemented three new ‘clear air corridors’ where smoking is prohibited.
Read more about the survey and the Let’s Clear the Air Here initiative on the Western Health and Wellness website, uwo.ca/cleartheair.