Smokers beware: Lighting up out of bounds may cost you
Andy Macdonald
Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: News
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A decision to go tobacco free or stay smoke friendly at EvCC will be made in the coming weeks. In the meantime, smoking on campus will be limited to the designated areas only.
Until now, smoking outside of the designated areas has been loosely enforced, but renegade smokers will find themselves talking with security if they smoke in nonsmoking parts of the campus. "I've revamped our smoking procedures," said director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Bob Wright.
Students and staff will face reprimands from security if they choose to disobey the rules.
The first time someone is stopped for smoking outside of the designated areas, they will be stopped and given a verbal warning, and their name will be put into a database. If a student or staff is caught a second time, they will be issued a written reprimand from security.
For those foolish enough to continue to break the rules after being caught twice, there won't be another warning, but rather actual consequences.
Students caught a third time will have their name forwarded to the vice president of Student Services, while a staff member receiving their third violation will have their name forwarded to the vice president of Human Resources.
Violators will have five school days to meet with the appropriate person to address the offense. Students and staff will have to choose one of three options: pay a $100 fine, spend an undetermined amount of time on litter patrol or attend a smoking cessation class. Failure to take action in the allotted time frame will result in further disciplinary action, and students will have no further input into their sentence.
Part of the problem EvCC has faced has been balancing public health versus smokers' rights versus the potential outcry from surrounding neighbors who feel smokers will smoke in their neighborhood if smokers are forced off campus. This new approach has temporarily found a compromise before a decision on going tobacco free is made.
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