Smoking policy sparks student concern

Campus community members wishing to smoke outdoors beware: The Community Council of Eigenmann Hall has declared smoking areas students must weather despite the storm. \nAdding several yards to the 30-foot bubble of perceived smoke-free outdoor space, sometimes more than a 100 feet from doors, many campus residence halls have instituted internal smoking policies designating particular pods of approved smoking space. Unlike many residence halls, Eigenmann has about six floors of office space reserved for IU affiliated or sponsored businesses and programs, including the Center for Survey Research, whose employees were notified in late October they might lose their job if they smoke anywhere other than the four designated smoking areas outlined on fluorescent green fliers saturating the residence hall environment. \nKatie Adams, field director for the CSR, said she applauds the University smoking policy. Since the Eigenmann Community Council is responsible for instituting and enforcing the residence hall's modified University smoking policy, Adams said the smoking policy is a majority rules situation. \n"We have been made aware of employees smoking in inappropriate areas," Adams said. "We have spoken to people who work with (Residential Programs and Services); we instituted (smoking) policies within our office. If an employee is caught smoking in an undesignated area, they would suffer disciplinary action."\nInterpreting the University's intention for regulating smoking space on campus, on the other hand, seems problematic since 30 feet is often difficult to gauge. \nSuzanne Ryan, director of Human Resources for IU, said she could not comment on the firing of student employees due to perceived smoking infractions until an investigation is conducted. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said the campus smoking policy was intended to be compatible with trends going on in the rest of the Bloomington community. McKaig said students and guests are in compliance with University regulations as long as they smoke anywhere beyond 30 feet from building exits, windows, walkways and ventilation systems. That definition suggests the Eigenmann smoking area rule cannot be enforced. \n"The campus didn't designate areas where people can smoke, only where they can't," McKaig said. "(Violating the smoking policy) depends on where it happens and who is involved. In most cases, like smoking indoors, we have a policy you can't do it. We would like individual cooperation, so there is no specific fine or disciplinary action if violations occur."\nJunior John Palmer, Residence Halls Association president, said each residence hall has put ashtrays and picnic tables in specific places to encourage where people smoke. \n"The residence hall community council makes recommendations for smoking areas," Palmer said. "It is not necessarily a mandatory issue. (Students) don't have to smoke in (designated) areas. The idea is to give smokers a comfortable place to smoke so they can enjoy doing it while being in compliance with University policy. Anybody who wants to question the (smoking) policy shouldn't feel threatened by it. Concerned students, if they decide to do it, can take matters into their own hands by contacting the residence hall director."\nSimilar to the 30-foot smoking policy in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind., junior and smoker Andrew Kennedy said smoking on campus is not much of a problem. \n"It's not that bad, unless it's raining," Kennedy said. "The wind dispenses the smoke quite a bit. I can see how the litter aspect can be a problem. Sometimes people just throw cigarette butts on the ground instead of putting them in the designated receptacle -- the ashtray."\nDespite the wind-factor associated with outdoor smoking, law student and nonsmoker Laura Koenig said she thinks the University smoking policy has been a great addition to the campus culture. Koenig cited the front doors of Ballantine Hall as the primary source of a nonsmoker's outdoor breathing misery. \n"(Cigarette smoke) is not in my face all the time," Koenig said. "It doesn't come into my daily life anymore unless I want it to. I don't even think about cigarette smoking anymore because I don't see it." \nProving smoking policies work on campus and can transfer to the domestic environment, senior and nonsmoker Claudio Luiselli said he does not allow his smoking friends to feed their nicotine addictions inside his smoke-free apartment.\n"They have no problem smoking on the balcony," Luiselli said. "If I'm walking behind someone (on campus) and I get smoke in my face, I just drop back or pass them."\nSophomore and smoker Osman Shamim, an Eigenmann resident, said the pleasure of smoking in designated areas depends on the day's weather.\n"If it's snowing or something, it's convenient to stand right outside the door," Shamim said before being asked to move 30 feet away from the building by the residence hall graduate student supervisor. "I don't have a place planned where I'm going to light my next cigarette. If they want to go crazy and establish smoking areas, there is nothing we can do about it." \n-- Contact staff writer David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.