MSU is soon to be smoke-free

Leave your cigarettes at home next semester because Morehead State University’s campus will be completely tobacco free.

Kevin Koett, dean of students at MSU, said the use of tobacco products will be forbidden on MSU’s campus starting July 1, 2011. This includes cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco.

Last year a committee met to discuss the issue of a smoking ban on campus. The committee was headed by Vice President of Student Life, Madonna Weathers and also included student, staff and faculty representatives. The committee met again this this year and passed the ban.

Student Government Association President, Lindsay Adkins served on the committee to represent students at MSU.

Adkins said, “The committee conducted a survey and found that smokers and nonsmokers were in favor of the ban. They also looked into the health benefits for the campus community. The committee looked into how a tobacco ban worked on other campuses that had already implemented it to see if it really worked and if it benefited their campuses.”

Ultimately, the deciding factor in passing the ban was to improve the overall health of everyone on campus, Adkins said. The committee studied how smoking bans had benefited the health of other universities.

“This will make a difference over time like any new process. Some people may have already been looking for a reason to quit and this provides it,” Koett said. “We’re going to try to be educational instead of coming down hard on you.”

Despite the benefits of improving the health conditions for everyone on campus some students are not happy about the ban.

MSU Junior Tyler Hamilton said, “I still think it’s bs that they can tell me I can’t smoke when I pay money to get here.”

MAU Sophomore Amy Blevins said, “I don’t even smoke but it seems like it should be against some kind of personal right to tell people they can’t smoke outside. I bet a lot of people don’t even know and are going to be mad.”

Koett said at this time many details of the ban are still in the planning stages. The university doesn’t have a specific plan on how to implement and enforce the ban or inform campus visitors about the ban.

“We will probably have some signage and obviously some webpage things and publications in newspapers,” Koett said.

Koett said that the university wants to take the informative approach to the issue and be fair. He plans on working with students who violate the ban and try to inform them about the health risks rather than issuing written citations and taking legal action. He also recommends that smokers kick their bad habit by signing up for free cessation classes that are being offered by the Caudill Health Clinic.

“Student violations will be dealt with through my office. I’m not going to write you a ticket. That would be awkward. If anything is alleged I’m going to sit down and talk to you, get your side of the story,” Koett said.