Bill Kibler, vice president of Student Affairs, said health standards are considered important at Mississippi State University.
Kibler is currently working with members of the MSU Tobacco Task Force to research and discuss options for moving toward a smoke-free campus.
 The status of the Mississippi State University Tobacco Usage Policy remains unchanged.
 Kibler said the process of moving toward the ultimate goal of a smoking ban is not a simple process.
“It is a multi-step process and will include the input of the Faculty Senate, Staff Council and Student Association,” he said. “It is a balancing of choice issue for the university,” Kibler said.
Currently, Mississippi State University allows the use of tobacco on campus.
The existing policy concerning the use of tobacco products, Student Affairs OP 91.301, limits persons to smoking “25 feet or more away from any enclosed area where smoking is prohibited” on campus.
Robert McMillen, associate professor in the department of psychology and coordinator of the Tobacco Control Unit, conducted an online survey of Mississippi State undergraduates regarding students’ opinions on tobacco policy on campus.
“Less than half (46 percent) did not want to revise the policy, while 27 percent wanted restricted tobacco use zones and 27 percent wanted the campus to be tobacco free,” McMillen said.
McMillen also told The Reflectorabout a test that measures the air quality in different areas on campus.
“Last spring, we used a monitor to assess air quality on the MSU campus,” he said. “According (to) EPA standards, air quality was generally ‘moderate’ across campus, but worsened to ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ or ‘Unhealthy’ levels when the monitors were placed near building entrances during breaks between classes.”
McMillen said the potential health risks associated with secondhand smoke, especially for those individuals who have pre-existing conditions such as asthma,  are heart disease or other respiratory problems.
He also said the dangers from secondhand smoke extend further than just the student body but to anyone who visits a campus where smoking is permitted.
Alexsaundra Stovall, a sophomore studying social work, is in support of an adaptation to the existing policy, but she is not in favor of a campus-wide smoking ban.
“It will be unfair to those students who do choose to smoke to impose a smoking ban,” she said. “However, I do believe that smoke-free zones should be enforced in areas like building entrances and the stadium.”
The Longest Student Health Center offers free assistance to faculty, staff and students who are trying to quit the usage of tobacco.
Kibler said he encourages everyone to continue to watch this issue as developments occur throughout the fall.