Juan Villa / The Collegian

Ciggy Buttz thinks that smoking on campus is out of control.

So does Kelly Miller, a senior biology student and president of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) campus chapter.

She and Ciggy, the anti-smoking cigarette butt mascot, along with representatives from a local health organization, are pitching that message this week in the form of a petition and clean-up drive on campus.

Their ultimate goal: Banning all smoking on campus.

“We are interested in health-related issues,â€Â Miller said of the club. “Prevention is the big thing …. to keep healthy in mind, body and spirit.â€Â

Fresno State̢۪s AMSA chapter, which just started up this semester, is working in collaboration with the San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium on the campaign.

“You have to wear a gas mask just to get to class,â€Â said Susan Pearson, who works with the San Joaqin Valley Health Consortium and also serves as the program manager of Fresno County IMPACT, a public health advocacy group.

AMSA̢۪s proposed ban would extend to the 28 designated smoking areas currently available on campus.

Fresno State̢۪s current smoking policy, which bans smoking outside of the designated areas, doesn̢۪t work, said Justina Felix, a worker with the San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium.

“People haven’t been using the designated smoking areas,â€Â Felix said, pointing to the expansive plastic bag on the group’s table containing hundreds of cigarette butts as evidence.

Volunteers can̢۪t collect butts from the receptacles in the designated smoking areas, she said. Instead, all the butts gathered up come from elsewhere, such as off the ground.

The butts have been stacking up since Monday, when AMSA started its campaign. “Butt Bags,â€Â or plastic bags, along with gloves, are handed out to those willing to participate in the butt clean-up.

Volunteers are awarded tickets that will go into a drawing for the chance to win a Nintendo Wii system. Today is the last day for the campaign.

Collection of cigarette butts will end at noon today, with the Nintendo Wii raffle taking place at 1 p.m.

In addition to Butt Bags and gloves, AMSA also offered candy, gum and anti-smoking literature at its table, which is located in the Free Speech Area in front of Roundtable Pizza, amid slogans such as “Help Kick Buttsâ€Â and “Kissing a Smoker is like Licking an Ashtray.â€Â

AMSA plans to present the petition signatures, along with the cigarette butts, to President John D. Welty upon the campaign̢۪s conclusion. The group plans to call for a stricter no-smoking policy, while urging more enforcement of the current policy.

“[The university] claims students don’t know about the policy yet; that they need more time,â€Â Felix said.

But the current smoking policy has been in effect for four years, which Felix said was plenty of time to make students aware of the policy, and that the university should subsequently step up enforcement against violators.

“They say no one smokes on campus,â€Â Pearson said. “But they can’t ignore the evidence.â€Â

Part of the smoking policy emphasizes building awareness of where people can and can̢۪t smoke, said Amy Armstrong, public information officer for the University Police Department.

“We need to help each other out,â€Â Armstrong said.

But if some people are violating the smoking policy, they need to be brought to the attention of the Environmental Health and Safety department, Armstrong said. For student violators, a judicial affairs coordinator can be assigned to deal with problem smokers and decide on a disciplinary action.

Despite disagreement over how widespread smoking problems are on campus, AMSA is hopeful its campaign will bring about positive change.

Students would be less inclined to smoke, and may be persuaded to quit the habit, “when it’s that much less convenient to smoke,â€Â Felix said.

“We’ve even got some signatures from smokers,â€Â Felix said.