Some students question tobacco ban's effectiveness
Jordan Grummer
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: News
The UA tobacco ban has been in effect for three months, and while some welcomed the policy, its lack of enforcement has led others to question its effectiveness.
The official policy, which prohibits the use of any kind of tobacco products on the UA campus, mentions nothing about tobacco users receiving any kind of citation or ticket.
The policy, which can be found at fresh.uark.edu, says "adherence … is the responsibility of the faculty, staff and visitors. Members of our campus community are empowered to respectfully inform others about the policy in an ongoing effort to enhance awareness and encourage compliance."
Bobby Brunning, an Associated Student Government senator in the Walton College of Business and a non-smoker, said he thinks the university's policy isn't working.
"Nothing has changed at all," Brunning said. "People are defiant about it. I think this is just an attempt by the university to be able to tell people on the outside we are smoke-free, but everyone knows people still smoke."
Colin Lindsey, a 20-year-old student from Little Rock, has not had his smoking habits affected by the new policy, he said. He still enjoys cigarettes daily outside of RZ's Coffeehouse in the Arkansas Union.
"No one has ever said anything to me about it," he said. "I think this is just a political ploy by the university."
Ray Burbank, a 21-year-old senior from El Dorado, said he has mixed feelings about the ban.
"I really don't mind when someone is sitting and smoking a cigarette because it really doesn't bother anyone," he said. "But when someone is smoking in front of me on the way to class, that's when I have a problem."
Students may express their opinions about the ban at fresh.uark.edu in the forums section. There are some students that support the policy, but a majority of respondents on the forum are against the ban.
One student wrote, "This is just another thing they can say to parents at orientation that sounds good but is effectively useless."
The only attempt to enforce the tobacco-free policy that Brunning has seen was at a recent football game.
"A cop asked my friend to put out his cigarette," he said. "My friend just said, 'No', and kept walking. If that's how they plan on getting this campus smoke-free, I don't see how it's going to work."
The official policy, which prohibits the use of any kind of tobacco products on the UA campus, mentions nothing about tobacco users receiving any kind of citation or ticket.
The policy, which can be found at fresh.uark.edu, says "adherence … is the responsibility of the faculty, staff and visitors. Members of our campus community are empowered to respectfully inform others about the policy in an ongoing effort to enhance awareness and encourage compliance."
Bobby Brunning, an Associated Student Government senator in the Walton College of Business and a non-smoker, said he thinks the university's policy isn't working.
"Nothing has changed at all," Brunning said. "People are defiant about it. I think this is just an attempt by the university to be able to tell people on the outside we are smoke-free, but everyone knows people still smoke."
Colin Lindsey, a 20-year-old student from Little Rock, has not had his smoking habits affected by the new policy, he said. He still enjoys cigarettes daily outside of RZ's Coffeehouse in the Arkansas Union.
"No one has ever said anything to me about it," he said. "I think this is just a political ploy by the university."
Ray Burbank, a 21-year-old senior from El Dorado, said he has mixed feelings about the ban.
"I really don't mind when someone is sitting and smoking a cigarette because it really doesn't bother anyone," he said. "But when someone is smoking in front of me on the way to class, that's when I have a problem."
Students may express their opinions about the ban at fresh.uark.edu in the forums section. There are some students that support the policy, but a majority of respondents on the forum are against the ban.
One student wrote, "This is just another thing they can say to parents at orientation that sounds good but is effectively useless."
The only attempt to enforce the tobacco-free policy that Brunning has seen was at a recent football game.
"A cop asked my friend to put out his cigarette," he said. "My friend just said, 'No', and kept walking. If that's how they plan on getting this campus smoke-free, I don't see how it's going to work."
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