The Metro Council passed an ordiance prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of an entrance to any public building. Many students are surprised to discover that many of their regular smoking spots could now earn them up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.
The new law makes it illegal to smoke under most covered areas, such as the walkway in the Quad. It also includes a popular smoking area – the benches outside the library door.
Many of the tables in front of the ground floor entrance to the Union are less than 25 feet away and most of the ash trays do not escape the no smoking zone.
The patio between East and West Laville dorms – a popular smoking location for residents of the two buildings – has about 51 feet of space between to the two doors, leaving just a foot in the middle to legally smoke.
The seating areas outside Blake and Herget dorms also fall within the 25 foot ban.
James Champagne, physics sophomore, said he is happy about the ban outside the library.
“I really don’t like secondhand smoke and I enjoy my time around the library,” he said.
Many students smoking Wednesday on campus did not know they were violating a parish law.
“I’m not going to stop,” said James Scullin,
mathematics senior, after learning that his favorite hang out, the ledge outside McDonald’s in the Union, was not a legal smoking spot.
“We’ve been here three years,” he said. “We haven’t got any negative feedback for smoking here.”
John Hansen, history senior, was smoking yesterday on the benches beside the front door of the library.
“Is 26 feet away clean air?” he asked. “We gave up the insides, now we are going to give up the outsides. It’s one more step towards smoking being illegal.”
Andrew Ferguson, anthropology senior, said he is not going to alter his smoking practices.
“I think they should issue smoking measuring sticks,” he said. “Each pack of cigarettes should have a tape measure.”
Contact Ginger Gibson at [email protected]