Group wants to ban smoking at IU

A new student group is appealing to the IU administration for a more aggressive anti-smoking policy on the Bloomington campus.\nStudents' Smokefree Coalition is currently putting together a proposal asking for smoking to be banned on all University-owned property. Bloomington-owned streets and sidewalks would be an exception to the rule, as the city has previously shown reluctance in expanding its own law that bans smoking inside businesses.\nThe coalition's president, sophomore Donnie Morgan said he and a few friends came up with the idea while walking through campus one day.\n"I don't necessarily have a huge problem with smoking, but it's definitely a nuisance," he said.\nSoon after, Morgan created the Facebook group "PLEASE ban smoking on IU's campus," which in little more than a week has attracted nearly 1,200 members.\nThe current IU smoking policy, which went into effect in September 2003 states "all building doorways and fully or partially enclosed walkways connecting buildings will be smoke-free, along with areas near open windows and ventilation systems. Smoking is prohibited on university owned or leased property within 30 feet of building entrances, exits, partially or fully enclosed walkways, open windows and ventilation systems."\nThe Students' Smokefree Coalition proposal is similar to policies currently in effect at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and IU-Southeast.\nIUPUI's policy goes so far as to ban the sale of all tobacco products in or on any IUPUI owned, operated or leased property or vehicle. IU East's smoking policy prohibits smoking everywhere on campus, including University vehicles and privately owned vehicles on campus.\nIUPUI went smoke-free after more than five years of surveying students and faculty, who were found to overwhelmingly favor the ban, according to a June 12, Indiana Daily Student article.\nAnother factor that influenced the policy was the research of Stephen Jay of the IU School of Medicine. Jay's research concluded that second-hand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. \n"People should be able to walk into Ballantine Hall without having to go through a gauntlet of smoke," Morgan said.\nSmokers outside of Ballantine Hall were unenthusiastic about the proposed ban Tuesday afternoon.\n"It's different smoking indoors; I can understand the ban on that," sophomore Eric Aiken said, preparing to light a Camel Light. "Indoors you're circulating the same air over and over again, but outdoors you should be able to have free roam. There's a plentiful supply of oxygen. I think (the ban) is silly."\nJunior Jon Wargo shared much of that sentiment as he smoked outside Ballantine.\n"Since Kilroy's banned smoking outside there's not a place for a smoker to go rest anymore," he said. "I think we should have the freedom to have a cigarette outside. As long as there's a place to put it out, I don't see the problem."\nMorgan said since IUPUI has already shown that such a smoking policy is viable on a large campus, he hopes the Bloomington campus will adopt a smoking ban within the next six months.\nIU Director of Media Relations Larry MacIntyre said he was not aware of any discussion about the issue at the administrative level yet, and such a plan might have to be approved by the board of trustees.