On May 17, Skyline’s Health and Safety Committee will be reviewing comments received from school staff and faculty based on a questionnaire that was submitted to them asking whether to impose designated smoking areas on campus, and, if so, where to locate them.

According to the committee’s chair, Sherri Hancock, the idea for placing these designated areas on campus resulted from several years of complaints received from faculty, staff and students regarding second-hand smoke.

“We’ve had several complaints about people walking through campus, walking through smokers and getting allergic reactions, coughing and smelling of smoke,” said Donna Elliott, health center program assistant and member of the Health and Safety Committee.

An e-mail was sent out to all faculty and staff, asking for suggestions around a month ago. So far, they have only received about 20 suggestions but hope to come to some conclusion at the May 17 meeting. According to Elliott, they plan on constructing these areas in the summer.

Both Hancock and Elliott have said the committee will look for student input in the future by distributing a questionnaire to students as well. The committee plans on putting the questionnaire in several places so that students will also have a say in the discussions. The idea is to have a covered area protected from the weather where smokers can socialize and retain some distance from non-smokers.

“I think it would be nice to be able to work together with the students that smoke, to work together to keep the insides of our buildings clean,” Elliott said.

“We’re all for it,” said Tammy Sonsini, a cosmetology student, when she learned this week of the designated smoking area discussions. “The smoke just pours into our classroom and it’s really bad.” Sonsini added she suffers from migraine headaches and is allergic to second-hand smoke.

Student Eric Yee said he is against designating smoking areas. When asked why, he responded, “Because it’s a free country.”

“They’re limiting me from walking around smoking,” Yee said.

According to Elliott, for the designated areas, the committee members suggested the quad area between buildings 1 and 2, or possibly the circles between buildings 2 and 3. Elliott says the committee has not yet gotten more specific ideas as to where smoking should be on campus. Parking lots have been another idea suggested by some of the faculty.

Elliott stresses that the idea is not to alienate the smokers or to put them on the spot, because it is legal to smoke, as long as those smoking stay at least 20 feet from school buildings. She and Hancock agree that the areas should be protected from the weather and covered or at least partially covered so that smokers have a comfortable place to stay.

Skyline nurse Jan Gersonde said that the designated smoking areas go hand-in-hand with San Mateo County’s Courteous Smoker program. The program states that all smokers must stand at least 20 feet away from doors, air vents, and windows.