Campus gets set for ban on smoking at U of M

ANN ARBOR (AP) -- Lights-out time is approaching at the University of Michigan, where a campuswide ban on smoking outdoors and indoors takes effect next month. The school says it is the first major university in the state to adopt such a ban, while Big Ten rivals Indiana University and the University of Iowa already have them in place. "We are approaching this issue with great respect for the difficulty in discontinuing tobacco use," said Robert Winfield, the university's chief health officer. "It is our expectation that this will entail a culture change that will take a number of years to be fully effective." The university has banned smoking inside its buildings since 1987. The outdoor smoking ban takes effect July 1. Plans for the ban were announced in 2009. The university announced in January that President Mary Sue Coleman had approved a final report on the policy. The plan was crafted after more than a year of review. The school says it will be enforced by voluntary compliance and peer and supervisory support, but not fines. Joe Chemler, a researcher at the university, said he smokes three to four cigarettes a day. After July 1, he will no longer be allowed to do so outside his building. "You can still smoke if you're on a public sidewalk," Chemler told the Detroit Free Press as he took a smoke break last week. "Or you can smoke in your car, so if it's bad out, I'll do that." Winfield said the new policy is meant to make the school's view of smoking clear. "By making all campus grounds smoke-free, the university intends to send a firm message that smoking is bad for the health of our faculty, staff and students, and that the university will support smokers in stopping and discourage nonsmokers from taking up smoking," he said. Ann Arbor resident Tom Markey works near campus and said he is happy with the coming change. "There are some really nice spots to walk around down here, or to just sit and enjoy the world," Markey said. "I hate having to walk through a cloud of smoke from someone. I think U-M is doing the smokers a big favor by making it hard to smoke. Maybe more people will quit now." According to the university, about 8 percent of its staff and faculty smoke -- about 3,200 smokers in all. Maintenance worker Tonya Worthy said she likes to enjoy a cigarette and a soft drink during her break outside the Michigan Union. "I understand why they don't want us smoking inside anymore," she said. "But I don't get why I can't smoke outside. If people don't like my smoke, they're able to avoid me." -------------- Online: http://smokefree.umich.edu. Published: Wed, Jun 22, 2011