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Bookstore will no longer sell cigarettes

Students who were concerned about the sale of cigarettes at the Seton Hall University bookstore will soon get their wish: as of November 1, 2018, the bookstore will no longer sell cigarettes. [caption id="attachment_24544" align="aligncenter" width="838"] Jillian Cancela/Staff Photographer[/caption] There is more than one reason for this change in policy. Director of Business Affairs Peter Trunk said via email that “cigarettes are not a very popular item.” “It makes sense to me that the store would end the sales, not just because of popularity, but profits too,” James said via message, Junior information technology management major Ethan W. James. Profit is not the only reason Seton Hall is stopping the sale of cigarettes. ‘The decision to stop the sale of cigarettes was based on the deleterious effects of smoking,” said Interim President Dr. Mary Meehan via email. “The University should not be making a profit from the sale of a substance which not only affects the health of the smoker, but also the health of those in proximity to the smoke.” Dr. Meehan added that the decision was made after “listening to many people talk about the selling of cigarettes and this certainly includes the Setonian,” referring to The Setonian article of September 13, 2018, headlined “Seton Hall still not a smoke-free zone.” Seton Hall students seem to have a mostly positive reaction to the news that the bookstore will no longer sell cigarettes. “I do not personally want to be harmed by those choices of others – second-hand smoke exposure is a serious and dangerous thing,” said junior biology and philosophy major Joe Montesano. “I think this move by the university is the right one in getting people to take a step in the right direction and be healthier for themselves and those around them.” Delilah Gutierrez, a junior majoring in Diplomacy and International Relations, agrees. “[Y]es I do smoke however … I think it’s [ending the sale of cigarettes at the bookstore] generally a good thing especially for the students who smoke impulsively,” Gutierrez said. Dr. Meehan explained the decision made by the Office of the President. “It would be my hope that the campus would continue to explore ways to prevent this serious health risk so that we better protect our students, employees, and visitors,” Meehan said. Despite this change in policy, anyone who is still hoping to see Seton Hall become a smoke-free campus will have to wait. Dr. Meehan said that while “I do think it is a discussion we should have on campus,” that “[t]here are no current plans to make the campus smoke-free.” Marie Leone can be reached at marie.loene@student.shu.edu.

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