Smoking Will Be Banned on OU Campus This Fall

Starting this fall, Oakland University will join 21 other Michigan colleges and universities in becoming a smoke-free campus.

A recent revision to the university's Non-Smoking Policy prohibits smoking on all university-owned property, with the exception of Meadow Brook Hall, the golf courses and private residences in the Meadow Brook subdivision. 

The policy expands a previous ban that was limited to a 50-foot perimeter of university buildings. 

“We know the hazards of secondhand smoke and that we need to keep the air clean for all students, employees and visitors to Oakland. With this in mind, the university has been moving toward the implementation of a smoke-free campus for some time,” said Cora Hanson in a statement on the university's website. Hanson is OU's environmental health and life safety manager and member of the university’s Non-Smoking Policy Committee.

“We know that the most effective way to protect others from secondhand smoke is to ensure that smoking is not taking place in public spaces.”

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, as of the beginning of 2013, at least 1,129 campuses across the country were entirely smoke free, including 22 colleges and universities in Michigan. Oakland Community College has a smoke-free policy; so does the University of Michigan. Michigan State University and Wayne State University do not.

Violators of the policy may be subject to a civil fine of not more than $100 for first-time offenders and not more than $500 for second or subsequent offenses. Violations are not considered criminal in nature.

After a post about the upcoming smoking ban was announced on the university's Facebook page last week, opinions were mixed:

• "Wish this had happened years ago! Nothing is worse than trying to walk into a building and being slammed with nasty smoke."
• "If you're going to enforce a smoke free campus, i think a drug free campus should be enforced as well. You cant tell me smokers are the only " bad" people. What about the people popping pills on campus amongst other things? Their habits just aren't as noticeable."
• "Stupid rule. Stop taking my rights always."

For more about the policy and about smoking on campus, visit www.oakland.edu/smokefreeyou