Committee to consider smoking ban

On Nov. 1, 1993, a new non-smoking policy went into effect making IU buildings entirely smoke-free. The policy has been in effect for 10 years, but now a committee has been formed to consider revising it. \nThe consideration is to amend the current policy by prohibiting smoking around doorways, windows and ventilation systems. The task force, co-chaired by Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Dan Rives and Dean of Students Richard McKaig, will meet Friday. \nHowever, this may not be the only time the group meets, McKaig said.\n"It wouldn't be unlikely that this group would need to meet a couple times over the summer," he said. "First, we'll have to see what everyone's thoughts are about the issue. The University hopes to have the issue finalized by fall semester."\nThe committee will consist of about 15 people including representatives from student organizations, graduate student government, staff and faculty council, staff union, clerical union and administration.\n"There are two events that are driving the formation of the task force: employee and student complaints about individuals smoking around doorways and the recent changes in the ordinances by the city and the county," Rives said. The city and county ordinances both prohibit smoking around doorways, windows and vent systems, he said.\nOn Oct. 20, 1993, a letter from then-Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, to IU deans, directors and department heads, discussed this smoking policy on campus. \n"The new policy will apply to all indoor air space including all faculty, staff, student or administration offices," Louis wrote. "This will also include University-owned vehicles. University owned and leased housing will designate all communal living spaces as smoke-free."\nThe 1993 Campus Policy on Smoking states that all buildings, regardless of location, which are owned or leased by IU, will be completely smoke-free. Also, all athletic facilities, communal living spaces within University housing, including residence halls and the Indiana Memorial Union, will be smoke-free with a few designated smoking rooms in the Union, monitored by the director of the IMU. \nMcKaig said he wasn't sure how people would react to the consideration which is why a committee was called together. He said it lets people come together and discuss these considerations without presupposing anything. \n"The issue is looking at the series of complaints and comments that have come in since the campus adopted the current smoke-free policy where basically all the facilities have been smoke-free," McKaig said. \nHe said some of the issues that might be discussed at the meeting are how far to extend the area and how to regulate the ruling, if in fact the committee does decide to revise the policy.