The Brown & White

College students attending schools in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are prohibited from smoking on campus.

The state system consists of 14 universities and 110,000 students.

The decision was made by PASSHE Chancellor John Cavanaugh in response to a state law, the PA Clean Indoor Air Act, which was passed by Gov. Ed Rendell in June. The PA Clean Indoor Act prohibits smoking in public areas, including all places of employment, business, trade, entertainment, craft, sports, recreation, education and professional or volunteer activity.

PASSHE spokesperson Ken Marshall said the decision to prohibit smoking on public campuses is due to the system's interpretation of the law.

"We spent a lot of time looking over and discussing the issue with university presidents and we ultimately interpreted the law to require a campus-wide ban," Marshall said.

He said because the law states that smoking is to be prohibited anywhere the public is invited to attend, as well as any educational facility, the interpretation to institute a full campus ban is completely within reason.

Marshall said the move is another step toward achieving a smoke-free environment and will benefit campus communities.

"We believe we are going to help students, faculty and staff to live healthier lives," Marshall said.

Implementation of the policy includes removal of smoking signs in designated smoking areas and offering programs to educate students on how to quit smoking, said Marshall.

"We are working with the State Department of Health on how best to enforce the act," Marshall said. "There have been protests on four of our campuses, but along with that, we have had many student organizations come out in support of the ban."

Marshall said under the PA Clean Indoor Air Act, a fine is to be issued for violations of the smoking ban. Until everyone has time to adjust to the new law, however, no fines will be administered.

"It's not our intent to issue a lot of fines," said Marshall. "We just want to educate the students."

At Kutztown University, the closest public campus to Lehigh, some students have issued formal complaints about the new law via e-mail, said Matt Santos, Kutztown's interim director for university relations.

"Of our 10,200 students, we have received about 60 to 80 e-mails from smokers who are against the new rule," Santos said.

He said there was little time to prepare to enforce the new law, and Kutztown will be immediately focused on educating the student body.

"We are taking down our smoking signs from the designated areas and offering smoking awareness classes at our health and wellness center," Santos said.

Kutztown will not immediately issue fines to students caught smoking on campus, but Santos said the school wants the student body to cordially respect the new law.

"We are focused on educational efforts right now, not punitive measures," Santos said.

Matt Gardner, '11, said he feels the new smoking ban at state schools is excessive and if Lehigh was to consider making such a rule, it shouldn't be so extreme.

"I think prohibiting smoking indoors is just common sense, but everywhere on a college campus is just way too restrictive," Gardner said.

He said rules already in place for smokers are sufficient.

"I believe that students who smoke should respect the 15-feet rule and try to keep an ample distance from students who don't want to take in second-hand smoke," Gardner said.

Ted Boyer, '09, said there's no reason to consider a similar policy at Lehigh because the smoking community is so small.

"The smokers are usually in small crowds and only do it socially," Boyer said. "I don't really ever see too much of it and it's never a problem."