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Vandy smoking ban sparks mixed reaction

Smokers won’t be lighting up cigarettes on the walk back from class or after a football game this fall at Vanderbilt University — at least if they’re following the rules.

On August 1, the university became one of more than 365 colleges nationwide that have instituted some kind of smoking ban on campus. Vanderbilt’s ban creates designated community and residential areas for smokers, but how the strictly the administration will implement the ban remains unclear.

“Vanderbilt Police is not really enforcing it, I have been walking around campus smoking and have not been stopped,” said sophomore Derek Schatz.

“People sometimes walk to class smoking and it’s kind of hard not to be stuck behind them,” said freshman Katie Frates. “I know about the ban but I am not a confrontational person, so I didn’t say anything.”

The administration is counting on good faith enforcement. According to Dean of Students Mark Bandas, enforcement at Vanderbilt will not be “officious,” but will be a matter of courtesy. Smokers are being asked to comply with requests out of respect.

In a Time Magazine piece last fall, administrators at schools like Purdue University and the University of Iowa described their struggles with consistent and effective enforcement. It’s a problem Vanderbilt’s already experienced once before. When Vanderbilt University Medical Center went completely smoke-free in 2008, displaced VUMC employees and patients could often be seen smoking on university grounds.

The impetus for the ban, according to Bandas, is student health.

“The negative health effects of exposure to second-hand smoke are simply medical fact,” Bandas said in remarks to Resident Advisers. “So, the University has an interest in protecting the interests and health of the non-smoking members of our community, the vast majority of people on the campus.”

According to university-gathered information, less than 1.5 percent of students are regular smokers and around 15 percent of students identified themselves as social smokers. Cigarettes can still be purchased at most Varsity Market locations on campus, and on the Vanderbilt card.

“We are not putting any of our students in a dangerous position by forcing them to go off campus or on the outskirts 21st Avenue or West End to exercise their rights,” said Lori Murphy, president of Vanderbilt Student Government.

VSG passed a resolution in the fall of 2009 stating that a smoking ban with designated areas was not in the interest of the student body. According to a statement from Murphy, VSG tried to limit the negative effects of the new policy when the university decided to move forward with its implementation.

“Many campuses are completely smoke free in all public forums, and actually, this campus, I think, has taken a very cautious step in saying we do respect smokers’ rights,” said Dr. Louise Hanson, Medical Director of the Student Health Center. “We are giving smokers designated areas.”

According to Murphy, residential smoking locations were chosen based on existing student behaviors.

There are 18 designated community-smoking areas located on campus and 21 residential smoking locations; Vanderbilt students are required to live on campus all four years, with limited exceptions. Greek houses will be allowed to self-designate an area on individual house grounds, but not inside the house.

Senior Zachary McAnally took issue with the location of those residential areas.

“People sit outside our building and smoke and that’s okay because it’s a designated spot. Nothing really changes,” McAnally said.

Perceived flaws in the policy’s design and execution have garnered a mixed reaction from the student body—from both the smoking and non-smoking sections.

“It’s a really bad idea that’s not going to be enforced. It’s not going to be respected,” Schatz said.

Kyle Blaine is the news editor of the Vanderbilt Hustler. He is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University.

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