Republic Act No. 9211, or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, passed June 23, 2003, expressly prohibited smoking in preparatory, elementary and high schools (Sec 5(a)). Smoking in colleges and universities is only expressly prohibited if the college/university serves exclusively students below 18 years old.

However, Sec. 6 of the same Act requires that in all enclosed spaces, including schools, smoking and non-smoking areas are to be designated. This is the reason why most tertiary schools designate smoking and non-smoking areas.

However, there are some tertiary schools which does not designate smoking and non-smoking areas at all; instead the entire campus is considered "smoke-free" - no smoking allowed. This is not required by law, and RA 9211 implicitly recognizes the "right" of smokers to smoke, albeit only in designated areas.

Many reasons had been raised to make campuses completely tobacco-free. Some of these are the following:
1. Promotes clean air and a healthy environment
2. Assures access for those affected by exposure to second-hand smoke
3. Teaches respect for others
4. Demonstrates leadership
5. Prepares students for the future
6. Eliminates tacit approval of underage tobacco use

Reasons against complete tobacco-free campuses had been raised as well:
1. Tramples on tobacco users rights
2. Would be unenforceable
3. Everyone would have to approve
4. Enrolment would decline
5. Would push tobacco users off campus
6. Would be costly

What's your take on this? Do you think that tertiary institutions should just follow what is required by RA 9211, and designate smoking/non-smoking areas, or should tertiary institutions completely ban smoking inside their campuses?

I think so. "Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health".

UP Campuses including the Philippine General Hospital are now smoke free based on a memo of the UP President a year ago. Administrators will be held liable for not implementing the prohibition.

Not really; even in UP there are some areas designated as "smoking areas", where a smoker could smoke. So it's not really a smoke-free campus.

And I assume alexmag3 that you don't smoke?

That's what I heard when it was deliberated. Maybe they modified it because UP has big campuses. Designating UP Diliman as a non-smoking campus, for instance, would also prohibit those living in dormitories and the squatters in the periphery from smoking.

Is UP Cebu a big campus, Vincent? Does it have a good reputation in Cebu? Too bad, I have not been to Cebu. It is a favorite tourist destination. In some countries, it is advertised as if not part of the Philippines.

If you mean the actual campus, it's small. If you mean the campus as it exists in paper, it's quite big. A portion of Gorordo Avenue cuts right through it.

ang daming smokers sa UP Diliman so it's really impossible to ban smoking there.

Our director smokes.

I suggested we designate his office as smoking area. My suggestion was denied. He does not like company.

Smoking is very dengerous for health. There is no advantage of smoking. There are only disadvantages.There are only advantages of it.Smoking creates only health problems. Cigarettes are made using tobacco. Tobacco contains nicotine. Nicotine is very harmful drug for your health.So I think colleges and universities should completely ban smoking in their campuses.

Smoking is been the problem for the other who is been studying and effected by them.So smoking should be banned from the colleges as not only it harms the health but also the college atmosphere too.

Smoking is very dangerous for health. It may cause very serious cancer.Most of the youngster is starting this habit in the college time.So first thing is to change the atmosphere of the college campus.Because if the college campus is smoke free then so many youngster are their who will not smoke.