Although Georgia State claims to be a tobacco-free campus, the university is far from able to make the assertion of being completely smoke and tobacco free.
On October 18, 2012 the Georgia State University Senate approved a ban on smoking and tobacco use on a majority of the university campus. The ban included areas indoors, outdoors, in parking garages and within 25 feet over most Georgia State building entrances and exits.
George Rainbolt, Chair of Planning and Development at GSU, said, “There are two reasons why you would want to have a tobacco-free campus. The first is the negative effects of second-hand smoke. So, if someone is smoking in a corridor or a hallway, someone else is going to have to breathe that in and there’s documented negative health effects. Secondly, of course, cigarette smoking is a very serious problem for everyone.”
Georgia State University officials began placing signs around campus to remind students that smoking is prohibited, but it is clear that the current ban in place has done little in the way of preventing students from continuing to use tobacco products on campus.
Alex Jackson, a Junior Economics Major, said, “I think that it would probably be better to have designated smoking areas on campus rather than banning it completely so you could at least control it a little bit more since obviously no one is respecting the full ban.”
With the ban’s minimal success after almost a year in effect, it seems as if it will take more than a sign to enforce the policy, which hopes to bring a better, healthier environment for students, faculty, staff and the public.
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