Students for Tobacco Awareness introduced a survey to the State College Borough Council this week showing that three-fourths of Penn State students support a statewide smoking ban.

The Penn State Pulse survey interviewed 1,500 students and was funded through grant money received by Penn State Students for Tobacco Awareness (PSSTA). The results come with special interest from council, which is working toward a smoking ordinance for the borough.

Brandon Tarbert, a PSSTA member, presented the survey to the council to show student support for a smoking ordinance.

"You have the support of three-fourths of the student body," Tarbert said.

Tarbert said there would be no economic effect on bars and restaurants in State College if the ordinance was enacted. More than 74 percent of students voted in support of the ban because of the "minimal exposure and smell and irritation of second-hand smoke," according to the survey.

At Monday's borough council work session, borough manager Tom Fountaine announced that a smoking ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants and bars has been drafted. Council members have not yet decided to move the ordinance forward to a vote, but will continue the discussion at a future meeting.

This year's Pulse survey differs from 1999 and 2004 results, which did not indicate as much support for a smoking ban.

"We were pleased that there was large support among students for a statewide comprehensive smoking ban and smoke-free campus policy," Linda LaSalle, coordinator of University Health Education Services, said.

According to the survey, 72.1 percent of students don't smoke, while 13.3 percent smoke in social situations, 5.8 percent smoke daily, 5.5 percent have quit and 3.2 percent smoke occasionally.

Twenty-five percent of students said they have smoked in the last 30 days, a percentage that has decreased from 37 percent in 1999.

The most common reason students said they smoked was drinking. Forty-two percent of students said parties, tailgates and bars were their biggest smoking motivators.