ECU considers gazebos to enforce smoking ban

East Carolina University’s Student Government is considering a proposal to decrease student smoking violations on campus.
At a recent meeting, students proposed building gazebos on the university’s campus in an effort to encourage students to smoke in designated areas only.

“We do have a smoking ban on campus, and it is largely not abided by and a lot of times it is not abided by especially when it rains,” said Tremayne Smith, the student body president at ECU.

The school’s current policy prohibits individuals from smoking within 25 feet of university buildings.

“No one wants to stand out in the rain and smoke a cigarette,” Tremayne said.

It is unrealistic to expect students to smoke in the rain; so, the gazebos are a solution to enforce our campuses’ smoking ban, he said.

While the proposal has not yet been presented to administrators, many student leaders said they hope it will be implemented.
Similarly, UNC officials are having trouble enforcing a smoking ban.

A ban was implemented at UNC in 2008 which prohibits smoking within 100 feet of any University building. On rainy days, students who wish to smoke are out of luck unless they choose to stand in the rain or violate the ban.

Allen O’Barr, the director of counseling and wellness services at UNC, said it was a good idea to provide shelter for people who choose to smoke.

While many are in support of making a shelter for smokers on campus, neither UNC nor ECU has ever issued a smoking citation.
“No student has ever been ticketed for smoking too close to a building,” Doug Boyd, spokesman for ECU, said.

“It is very hard to enforce to begin with because of the fact that the use of cigarettes is short in duration and if we respond by complaint, usually the person has left the area by the time we get there.”

Also, Young said it is difficult to prove a person was smoking within 100 feet of a university building.
“We give verbal warning, but we don’t track those numbers,” he said.

Some education officials question whether bans have really decreased smoking, and whether more programs are needed to discourage smoking.

At UNC, students have access to programs at student health services to help them quit smoking.
O’Barr said, “we have made services available through Counseling and Wellness Services and have had very few people take advantage of them.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.