Inconsistent Enforcement of Smoking Ban Creates Confusion Among Smokers, Non-smokers

By Taylor Richardson

Story 2: Diverse Leads | MC 1313

Megan Lovelady T/TH

3rd draft

A year after the instatement of a tobacco-free policy at Texas State University, cigarette butts continue to litter the ground beneath No Smoking signs. 

University President Denise M. Trauth announced the new ban in April 2011. A formal policy was drafted defining boundaries, expectations and guidelines for compliance, and No Smoking signs appeared all over campus.

Effective Aug. 2011, UPPS No. 04.05.02 banned the use of all tobacco products on all campus property, including all campus sidewalks and streets. 

Despite the measures taken by the University, many students and faculty members continue to smoke on campus. 

Catherine Street, 22, said that she knows of students and teachers that have hiding places where they smoke on campus.

At the beginning of the Fall 2012 semester, University Police allegedly began issuing fines to violators of the policy.

Brian Dang, a smoker, is attending his second year at Texas State. He doesn't approve of the way authorities are enforcing the ban.

“I heard that people were getting tickets again,” Dang said. “I feel like the University doesn’t know what to do, and they’re leaving it to the discretion of individual officers.”

Dang isn’t the only one who feels the enforcement of the ban has been inconsistent.

Arda Onkol is an international business major at Texas State that supports the ban, but she hasn't witnessed any enforcement by officials.

“I have not seen UPD issue any tickets to the few smokers I have seen on campus,” said Onkol.

Brenda Leon, 18, supports the tobacco ban, but she also thinks the policy isn’t enforced. She said that she still sees people smoking everywhere.

Emily Collins, 20, believe the smoking ban has actually made campus dirtier.

“The memorial gardens are now an ashtray, and people leave their cigarette butts everywhere because there are no ashtrays,” Collins said.

Many students felt that imposing fines is a step in the right direction.

Haley Dougherty, a music education major, said that she agrees with the issuance of citations and added that by doing so the university was following through with its mandate.

The university’s Student Handbook does not outline a specific course of action to be taken with violators of the tobacco ban.

According to the official policy, the university expects all students, faculty, staff, contractors, subcontractors and visitors to voluntarily comply with the policy’s “spirit and intent.”