Inside Iowa State

Jan. 12, 2007

Smoking zones move Jan. 12

by Erin Rosacker

A revised smoking policy that bans smoking within 25 feet of university buildings takes effect Jan. 12. The policy change was formed by the smoking policy development task force, which accepted public input via e-mail and open forums in November.

Although the policy takes effect Jan. 12, smoking receptacles and appropriate signage will not be immediately in place. Facilities planning and management staff will work with environmental health and safety (EH&S) and building supervisors to identify and relocate compliant smoking areas within the next few months.

Meanwhile, smokers are expected to observe the 25-foot smoking ban, but may need to use ashtrays still in the restricted areas to dispose of extinguished materials.

"We're not looking at getting a tape measure out and saying, 'here's a white line, you can't go beyond that,'" said Ken Kerns, associate director of EH&S and chair of the task force. "It's supposed to be a reasonable distance away from the building so that smoke is not going to bother the building occupants, nor would it bother people who are just going in and out of the building."

Kerns uses eight large steps or paces as an example of measuring the 25-foot distance.

"Twenty-five feet sounds like a lot, but when you actually step it out, it's really not that much," he said. "As time and funds allow, we'll start moving the receptacles out and seeing what works best."

Enforcement

Still going through a cloud of smoke at the door of your building? Kerns encourages using the same approach you would use with someone smoking within the building itself. Courteously inform smokers of the smoking policy, or politely ask them to move to the designated area. If you continue to have problems, use the normal process of reconciling the issue by going through your department or unit head. EH&S or the appropriate administrative unit would be involved in further unresolved issues.

If you want to find out where the new designated smoking areas are, Kerns advises talking to the designated building supervisor.

"We really don't want people to be climbing into bushes to comply with this," Kerns said. "There has to be some reasonableness about it. It's going to take a little courtesy on the nonsmokers' part and education on everyone's part so that they understand what the rules are and how they should be implemented."

To learn more about the revised policy, including exceptions, go to the policy library Web site, www.policy.iastate.edu/policy/smoking.

ISU's campus smoking policy has been revised, moving smoke-free areas out 25 feet from university buildings. The new policy goes into effect Jan. 12.

"We really don't want people to be climbing into bushes to comply with this. There has to be some reasonableness about it. It's going to take a little courtesy on the nonsmokers' part and education on everyone's part so that they understand what the rules are and how they should be implemented."

-Ken Kerns, associate director of environmental health and safety