Des Moines Register
03-12-07
Iowa universities see more support for smoking bans
The U of I is weighing going smoke-free. Many at UNI would back a similar plan.
BY DREW KERR
REGISTER CORRESPONDENT
Iowa City, Ia. - If the University of Iowa decided to ban smoking on campus,
senior Chris Black says he would feel stripped of a personal right.
"I'm not going to go around blowing smoke in people's faces, but, come on, it's
give and take," said Black, 23, of Glenview, Ill., while puffing on a Marlboro
outside the U of I's library.
Interest in campus smoking bans is growing at Iowa's public universities, as well
as colleges across the nation.
Forty-three percent of 1,200 University of Northern Iowa students surveyed last
month supported a plan to ban smoking from campus grounds. Thirty-five
percent thought there should be designated smoking areas on campus.
Faculty and staff groups at the U of I recently supported a campuswide smoking
ban and Iowa State University implemented measures in January to push
smokers farther from campus buildings.
Nationwide, 41 college campuses have banned smoking both inside and outside,
according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. In Iowa, only Des
Moines University and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids are entirely smokefree, the foundation reported.
"There's this ever-growing mountain of evidence concerning the health hazards
of secondhand smoke," said Bronson Frick, the group's associate director. "If
colleges are so smart, why would they want that in an academic setting?"
Susan Buckley, who co-chaired the U of I's smoking policy review committee,
said she recognizes the difficulties that have kept schools from banning smoking
on campus, but says interest is climbing in Iowa and across the country.
"When we did our research, we were having a difficult time finding a comparable
institution with a smoking ban, but what we also found was that everyone was
interested in what we're doing and how it goes," she said.
Interim U of I President Gary Fethke, who would have to approve the ban for it to
go into effect, said he will review campus opinions in April. The ban would not be
implemented until two years after approval.
A Des Moines Register review of smoking policies at Big Ten and Big 12
conference schools shows all but a few have pushed smokers at least 10 feet
from entrances or building perimeters. Penn State University, Indiana University
and the University of Missouri are among the few schools in the two athletic
conferences considering campuswide smoking bans.
A campuswide ban was discussed last year at ISU, but officials feared the
reaction of smokers, said Ken Kerns, who chaired ISU's now disbanded smoking
task force. Instead, ISU pushed puffers 25 feet from campus buildings.
"You go with a campuswide ban, and all of a sudden we're changing people's
culture and saying smoking's not OK at all and we don't want it on our campus,"
Kerns said. "Then we have to be prepared for a potential drop of enrollment."
That fear, though, could be unfounded, Kerns said. Many Ames restaurants
decided to remain smoke-free even after a city prohibition was overturned by the
Iowa Supreme Court because they saw a spike in business, he said.
Some smokers, like U of I freshman Hwan Suk Lee, say a campuswide ban
wouldn't be a terribly off-putting.
"It might even help me quit," he said.
Standard smoking policies
No smoking within 30 feet of a building
Kansas State University, Indiana University, Purdue University
No smoking within 25 feet of a building
Oklahoma State University, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, Ohio
State University, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin, University of
Iowa, Iowa State University
No smoking within 20 feet of a building
University of Texas, University of Kansas, Baylor University
No smoking within 15 feet of a building entrance
Texas Tech University
No smoking within 10 feet of a building entrance
University of Nebraska
Smoking allowed only in designated areas
University of Oklahoma and Texas A & M University
Other smoking policies
Penn State University: Substance abuse commission has recommended a
campuswide ban, beginning with a ban within an enumerated distance to building
entrances. Current policy says smoking is allowed as long as it does not enter or
affect the indoor environment.
University of Colorado: Smoking permitted outside buildings provided it is far
enough away to prevent smoke from entering.
University of Michigan: Smokers must stay at a "reasonable distance" from
building entrances. Some entrances may be marked "no smoking."
University of Missouri: Smoking confined to one designated smoking area per
building and allowed in enclosed, private offices as long as nonsmokers are not
affected by the smoke. Reviewing policy currently and considering a possible
campuswide ban.
University of Northern Iowa: Designates at least one smoke-free entrance per
building.