After nearly two hours of debate Monday, Student Senate voted down a resolution to form a taskforce to make the campus tobacco-free.

While the senators agreed that tobacco negatively affects the health of users and of others, they found several issues with the idea of a tobacco-free campus.

The resolution, submitted by senior Sen. Patrick Bloecher, cited a recent survey of students done by Student Health Services, in which 57 percent of students, 64 percent of faculty and 66 percent of staff are in favor of a tobacco-free campus.

Several senators challenged the validity of the survey during the debate, claiming that the questions asked were leading and did not accurately represent student opinion.

Freshman Leah Jensen, a non-smoker living on Upper Campus, said she would support a tobacco-free campus.

“I hate the smell of smoke, and I think it makes people look trashy when they do smoke,” she said.

Students’ health is the main concern addressed by the resolution, said Student Health Services Health Educator Kate Wilson.

“We heard from a lot of people (in the survey) whose either health or learning has been affected by tobacco use on campus.”

Some senators were also concerned about enforcement because they often see smokers doing so in non-smoking areas.

Senior Dave Gerszewski and Math Department Secretary Nicole Owen said they always smoke in designated smoking areas and oppose a tobacco-free campus.

“It’s legalized discrimination,” Owen said, adding that she believes smokers will not quit just because the university goes tobacco-free, but will walk across the street and smoke in front of residences in the Third Ward.

Student Senate shared this concern as relations between the campus and the residents of the Third Ward are already strained due to underage drinking and other campus issues, they said.

Gerszewski, who is part of the group Students for Responsible Smokers, said his main concern with going tobacco-free is that the university encourages students to live in the dorms, but would “essentially force smokers to live off campus.”

“It’s unrealistic to expect all students not to smoke,” he said.

Owen and Gerszewski both said they think smokers should be more respectful of non-smokers on campus, but banning tobacco is going too far and would strip them of their personal choices.

Sen. Brittany Smith supported the resolution.

“I support choice . but I feel like, in this situation, those who choose not to smoke have no choice at all,” she said.

The senate voted 21-4, with two abstentions, not to pass the resolution but suggested that it be rewritten and possibly reintroduced at a later time.