Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News

Flint freshman David Ruzicka and Troy freshman Jessica Steffey take a smoking break near Calkins Hall. [Click to enlarge]

Central Michigan University's 25-foot smoking policy is being revised.

Tammy Griffin, CMU's manager of heath and wellness, said the policy needs to be revised to include a written practice on how to enforce the policy. She said nobody assumes responsibility to enforce the rule.

"I hope the new policy will empower professors, students, smokers and non-smokers to abide by the policy," she said.

Recommendations for updates to the policy are being reviewed and hopefully will be available in about a month, she said.

The university smoking policy states smoking is "permitted outside university buildings at a minimum distance of 25 feet from a designated entrance/exit."

The Web site also states smokers who violate this rule may be reported to the Office of Student Life and subject to a $100 fine for the first violation and up to $500 for the second.

Freeland freshman Jordan Galbraith said although he always has followed the campus smoking policy, his roommate has been yelled at for smoking too close to the buildings.

"My roommate got yelled at by a professor saying, 'You can't smoke that close!'" Galbraith said. "He was going outside to smoke himself."

Griffin said a person should ask smokers to move away in a polite manner if they are smoking too close to buildings.

"If they refuse, ask for their information," she said. "If they still refuse, call CMU Police."

CMU might be able to put a scare into smokers refusing to abide by the campus smoking policy, but CMU Police Capt. Fred Harris said the policy is not a law enforcement policy and has to be handled internally through the university.

"It is not a state statute," he said. "We couldn't issue tickets."

It is hard to abide by the policy when ashtrays are placed close to the doors of buildings, Galbraith said.

"Smokers stand wherever they are at," he said.

Griffin said the placement of these ashtrays also will be considered when revising the policy.

She said the placement of ashtrays close to buildings helps make it easier for plowing and mowing purposes.

"They need to be strategically placed," she said. "If you place them 25 feet away, there will be more cigarette butts on the ground."

The ashtrays are meant for students to put out their cigarettes and not to stand by them and smoke, she said.

Lake Orion junior Holly Vernon said although smokers on campus do not bother her, she has heard other people make comments about it.

"I've heard people say, 'Do they know what 25 feet is?'" she said.

Galbraith said people smoke closer to the buildings when it rains and is not going to affect a person's health.

"The wind is going to blow it anyway," he said. "When people go to the bar, it's the same thing."

Griffin said work is being done on the issue and the university will look at other campuses to see how they deal with the issue.


news@cm-life.com

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