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Smoking ban compliance relies on respect, cooperation
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The Boise State University smoking ban, effective Fall 2009 will be enforced not by a citation process, but by a strategically placed signage and a hope that students and community members respect the rule and regulation of the university.
According to Boise State’s Health Services Web site, “The success of this policy will depend on the thoughtfulness, consideration, and cooperation of smokers and non-smokers.”
“Yellow ’smoke free’ triangles [which are] well recognized signage used throughout the Treasure Valley and all across the state, will be placed at strategic gateway locations around the campus and along the perimeter of university property,” Ferdinand Schlapper, director of Health, Wellness and Counseling said.
The signage will cost approximately $20 per sign. The Department of Health and Welfare will offer assistance with the signage costs as part of the department’s statewide tobacco prevention and control programming, Schlapper said.
While students and visitors alike are already prohibited from smoking in entryways, dorms and campus buildings, the Fall 2009 ban also eliminates smoking from all outdoor areas of the Boise State campus.
“Top priority will be educating [and] improving awareness of the university policy,” Schlapper said. “Continued violation of university policy may be subject to the student conduct process – same as any other violation.”
Blaine Eckles, director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, said his office looks at flagrant violations of any university policy on a case-by-case basis. He said students who read the university’s “Statement of Shared Values” will find respect and cooperation apparent in the university’s objectives of enforcing the smoking ban policies.
Boise State’s position on eliminating smoking on campus seeks to protect and promote overall campus health according to Eckles.
“We want students to see the importance of why the university is taking a stand,” he said.
According to Schlapper, the university has received overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the campus-wide smoking ban policy.
“Only a few smokers do not understand the harmful effects of any exposure to second-hand smoke, which is reflected both in the research evidence and in current public policy trends,” he said.
Currently in Idaho, both the College of Southern Idaho and BYU-Idaho are smoke-free campuses. Boise State will join more than 160 campuses nationwide that are entirely smoke-free. At least 32 campuses nationwide enforce a partial smoking ban, which limits smoking from the entire campus, except for remote outdoor areas, according to American Non-Smoker’s Rights Foundation.
LINDSEY RHODES- PURDY
Arbiter Journalist