Ken Kerns, associate director of Environmental Health and Safety and chairman of the smoking policy development task force, explained the origins of the new policy and what it means for students:

Iowa State’s current policy is nearly 20 years old. It went into effect July 1, 1987. Until recently, that policy had been adequate.

Several incidents this year prompted the drafting of the new policy.

Last March, the University of Iowa banned smoking in its hospitals, which led to the university considering a campuswide ban. The university already has a ban similar to Iowa State’s proposed policy, which bans smoking within 25 feet of building entrances.

Kerns said that if the University of Iowa were to go smoke-free, the Board of Regents would likely force a smoking policy change statewide.

Several national health organizations, including the National Cancer Institute, have declared the state of Iowa off-limits as a host for their meetings because of its lack of an effective smoke-free policy.

These complaints, along with numerous complaints from ISU students, staff and faculty, convinced Kerns that something had to be done.

The development of the policy started with examinations of other universities’ smoking policies.

Careful attention was paid to the language used and the exceptions made for special events and activities.

“We wanted [the policy] to be definitive and flexible,” Kerns said. “One rule can’t fit everyone all the time.”

Once the policy was drafted, it was posted online and comments from the public were invited. The smoking policy task force also held two public forums on Nov. 14.

“This way, we can make sure it’s not conflicting with anything,” Kerns said. “Everyone has a say.”

Kerns said the responses have been overwhelmingly positive and supportive.

The most obvious change in the new smoking policy is the prohibition of smoking within 25 feet of campus building entrances and windows.

Kerns said each building would have its own clearly marked smoking area, making it obvious where smoking is allowed.

The placement of the smoking areas is up to the superintendents of the individual buildings.

One of the notable exceptions to the 25-foot rule is that buildings may place their smoking areas closer if there is not a suitable location more than 25 feet away.

Kerns said the creation of smoking stations around campus was considered but was abandoned in favor of simply assigning smoking areas by building.

“We’re trying to make the policy practical and easy to implement,” Kerns said.

Enforcement of the new policy is to be based on voluntary compliance.

Kerns said he counts on students to police each other, politely informing stray smokers of the new rules.

“You aren’t going to see DPS giving out tickets,” he said.

Kerns said he hopes this new policy will lead to a campuswide ban, as some other universities have done. He attributed the recent movements against smoking to an overall shift in our culture.

“What’s truly interesting is to look at things like training films from the ’70s that show everyone smoking,” Kerns said. “Look back and imagine that those were normal working conditions.”