University gears up for smoking ban

Sophomore Nikki Ashkin won’t have to walk through clouds of cigarette smoke on the business school steps \nafter Jan. 1.\n“Everyone smokes and it’s really gross taking deep breaths of smoke,” Ashkin said. “It will be nice not having to deal with that.”\nBut not everyone on campus will be happy with the change.\nIn the newly created position of smoking cessation educator, Neva Cottam said there might be some resistance to the policy initially, but she thinks the political climate is changing in such a way that people are becoming more accepting of these kinds of policies. She said when Bloomington passed its no-smoking policy there was resistance from businesses who said they would lose money.\n“Quite the opposite has happened,” Cottam said. “Businesses have actually done better because people who wouldn’t go there before will now go.”\nCottam was hired as a smoking cessation educator at the Health and Wellness Education Center this year. Her job is to teach smoking cessation classes to faculty and students as a provision of the policy. Classes and nicotine replacement products will be provided at little or no cost.\nThe Bloomington Campus Tobacco-Free Policy, which will go into effect next semester, prohibits the use of tobacco on University-owned or leased property. \nAshkin supports the policy and said she thinks it will help in the long run.\n“I don’t think anyone who smokes will be thrilled,” Ashkin said. “But I guess there’s not much they can do about it.”\nSophomore Michelle Hoover has smoked cigarettes for three years. She doesn’t mind IU’s current policy prohibiting individuals to smoke near building entry ways, but does not support new policy.\n“It’s a giant campus, and now they’re banning tobacco,” Hoover said. “It’s pissing me off, and now I need a cigarette.”\nHoover said when she is preparing for exams she smokes to relieve stress, and if she has to smoke, she’ll have a cigarette.\nIU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said officers won’t be handcuffing students for smoking on campus.\n“Normally that is handled through the office of student ethics at the dean’s office,” Minger said. “They would be enforcing that kind of regulation.”\nThe policy states violations will be referred to “the appropriate administrative office for review and appropriate administration.”\nMinger said there has been an overwhelming amount of compliance with the IU’s current no-smoking policy near facilities.\n“People will normally comply when they realize it’s in the best interest of everyone’s health,” Minger said.\nCottam said she will take August and September to take care of funding issues. Her goal is for classes to start Oct. 1. \nFor more information contact the health center at 855-7338, or e-mail Cottam at ncottam@indiana.edu.\n“More people will utilize IU for conferences because we are a leader with this policy,” Cottam said. “I think we will see more support and money come into the campus because of it.”