Students Question How U Will Enforce Campus-Wide Smoking Ban
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The University of Minnesota is going smoke free.
Students already are not allowed to smoke inside buildings on campus. But starting in July, the ban will extend outdoors.
Ask any University of Minnesota student -- smoker or non-smoker -- and they know the health benefits of going smoke free.
"I think it would be very good for the health of the campus," said sophomore Hanna Wille.
But ask them if a ban on smoking at all on campus is fair?
"I think it's very hard to tell all the students that they can't smoke, so I'm very…on both sides," Wiolle said.
Max Van Blanderen, a junior, said that because the university's campus is so large, it can be quite a hike to get off campus to smoke.
The University Senate approved a measure last spring to ban the use of tobacco products on campus. The details of the policy have now been finalized.
While the policy doesn't go into effect until July 1, many students are wondering how officials will be able to enforce it across campus.
"I think it's too big of a trend here to ban campus wide," Wille said.
University officials have said they hope the ban will help cut down on tobacco use among students.
"If they want to smoke they can just step across the street," said sophomore Beth Olson. "I don't think it's going to defer people from smoking."
The ban will include electronic cigarettes.
The University of Minnesota did not comment on how they plan to enforce the policy.
