Dalhousie bans smoking but not every one butts out

Students caught smoking on campus risk expulsion

Arielle Goldschlager is a first-year arts student who likes the fresh air, but thinks Dalhousie University may be going too far in banning smoking on campus.

In September 2003 Dalhousie became the first Canadian university to become completely smoke free, both inside and outside.

Goldschlager thinks banning smoking near buildings "is a reasonable request, but asking students not to smoke anywhere on campus is impressing on their personal choices."

Dalhousie students and faculty who want to smoke are asked to leave university property. Stephen Ellis, Dalhousie's health and safety officer, says it can be difficult to prevent smoking on campus.

"Enforcing the policy involves everybody throughout the university," he says. "It's everyone's job to help out."

Students who see someone smoking on campus should politely remind that person of the school's smoke free policy, Ellis says. If the smoker refuses to put out his cigarette or leave campus, students should contact security or the Environmental Health and Safety office.

Students who refuse to follow the rules risk expulsion. But no one has been kicked out of school for smoking, Ellis says, and verbal reprimands have been the only action taken.

Some Canadian universities are considering stricter smoking policies, but most are not planning to introduce campus-wide smoking bans because they are too difficult to enforce.

The University of New Brunswick forces smokers to stand 10 metres away from university-owned buildings. Other campuses, such as Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., no longer permit the sale of cigarettes in stores on campus.

Last year York University in Toronto announced plans to be smoke-free by 2009. Since then there have been changes to the university's administration, and it is unclear whether a smoke-free policy will actually be implemented in the coming year.

Many universities feel that a smoke-free campus is too restrictive and too difficult to enforce.

Ellis says he has had to remind a few people of the smoke-free rules, but adds that in general "people are cooperative" and the policy has been well received.

Josh Evans, who's taking a bachelor of arts degree at Dalhousie, says the policy is often ignored.

"I see it every day," Evans says. "Every time I walk out of the library there are people smoking."

Evans also points out that students are not the only ones who aren't following the rules.

"You see staff outside smoking too. When the profs are smoking, it's hard for students to follow the policy."

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