Smoking policy enforcement slow, but officials say that's intended

By Tim Sturtridge

The operation against tobacco on campus is beginning to move up a few gears in a bid to make smoking prohibited outside designated areas.

The smoking policy officially came into effect on Oct. 1, but as of Monday, nobody has faced discipline of any kind.

Dr. Jeannine Raymond, the interim vice president of administrative services, headed a committee appointed by University President John Welty to develop the policy earlier this year.

“ It was intentionally taken very slowly because it’s a change of the culture of campus,” Raymond said. “I think there was a lot of support campus wide for it, but we wanted to make sure everybody knew what the policy was and where the designated areas were.”

Smoking is banned on campus in all areas apart from 17 designated smoking zones and smokeless tobacco in classrooms and enclosed facilities is prohibited. The policy also bans the sale and promotion of cigarettes and other smoke-generating tobacco products on campus.

The implementation of the new rules is entering a new phase with the arrival of specially designed ashtrays, allowing the committee to advertise a more broadly and aggressively said Raymond.

“ What we’re talking about now is someway of notifying campus of the policy,” Raymond said. “This would mean handing smokers a warning and information card so they can look for a designated area next time they wish to smoke.”

Raymond said she is pleased with how it has gone so far and hopes smokers will recognize the policy and the desires of most people on campus.

“ [The policy] has been very successful so far,” she said. “We haven’t yet hit the period when we might have to discipline someone.”

But Raymond did not rule out stronger action against people who violate the policy.

Fresno State student Matt Holt said he thinks the new rules will have their benefits but warned against student’s freedom being taken away.

“ It’s all well and good to coop smokers up like this but where does this sort of thing end,” Holt said. “This is college and we are all old enough to make our own decisions, what if somebody wants to smoke but they can’t find an area? It all seems a bit over the top to me.”

Raymond admitted that some of the designated areas were hard to identify and measures need to be taken to improve the visibility of the ashtrays.

“ I’ve noticed the embossed sign is only on one side, so if you’re approaching you may not know it was a designated area. I will be taking [this] to plant operations people to see if there is anyway to cover the receptacle.”