Smoking ban causes campus changes, adding fines
Jenna Jacobs - STAFF WRITER
Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: News
Iowa's Smoke Free Air Act was initiated to attempt to make Iowa's air safer and healthier for Iowa residents. The ban has been in effect since July 1, and controversy has surfaced since then.
According to Iowasmokefreeair.gov, smoking is banned in a number of places including public places, places of employment, restaurants and bars, amphitheaters, outdoor sporting arenas and other outdoor areas.
The only place where smoking is allowed in public is the gaming floor of licensed casinos, designated hotel/motel rooms and Iowa Veterans' homes.
As part of the new smoking ban, businesses, along with the Grand View College, had to post "no-smoking" signs at entrances to every building. They also had to inform all employees of the smoke ban.
All ashtrays must be removed from the entrances. Ashtrays are not allowed outside of buildings such as the Student Center, Krumm Business Center and Knudsen Hall where some students use to smoke.
According to the Iowa Public Health Department Web site, the Smoke Free Air Act went into place to "help reduce secondhand smoke exposure by the general public and employees in order to improve public health."
Linnea Dacus, nursing sophomore, said, "I'm glad I don't have to worry about breathing smoke every time I walk outside a building on campus."
On the other hand, some students who used to go outside and smoke are not happy about the new smoking ban.
Marina Krvavac, graphic design junior, said, "They should have made a place where people are allowed to go and smoke."
Students can no longer go outside a building to smoke. Before the ban was put into place, residential students couldn't smoke in hall facilities. If a student is caught smoking, the first violation is a $50 fine and the second is $100.
If you are off campus and caught smoking in a nonsmoking area, you can receive a $50 civil fine. According to Iowasmokefreeair.gov, if businesses don't ask people to stop smoking they can be fined anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on the number of offences.
More information on the new legislation can be found at their Web site, Iowasmokefreeair.gov.
According to Iowasmokefreeair.gov, smoking is banned in a number of places including public places, places of employment, restaurants and bars, amphitheaters, outdoor sporting arenas and other outdoor areas.
The only place where smoking is allowed in public is the gaming floor of licensed casinos, designated hotel/motel rooms and Iowa Veterans' homes.
As part of the new smoking ban, businesses, along with the Grand View College, had to post "no-smoking" signs at entrances to every building. They also had to inform all employees of the smoke ban.
All ashtrays must be removed from the entrances. Ashtrays are not allowed outside of buildings such as the Student Center, Krumm Business Center and Knudsen Hall where some students use to smoke.
According to the Iowa Public Health Department Web site, the Smoke Free Air Act went into place to "help reduce secondhand smoke exposure by the general public and employees in order to improve public health."
Linnea Dacus, nursing sophomore, said, "I'm glad I don't have to worry about breathing smoke every time I walk outside a building on campus."
On the other hand, some students who used to go outside and smoke are not happy about the new smoking ban.
Marina Krvavac, graphic design junior, said, "They should have made a place where people are allowed to go and smoke."
Students can no longer go outside a building to smoke. Before the ban was put into place, residential students couldn't smoke in hall facilities. If a student is caught smoking, the first violation is a $50 fine and the second is $100.
If you are off campus and caught smoking in a nonsmoking area, you can receive a $50 civil fine. According to Iowasmokefreeair.gov, if businesses don't ask people to stop smoking they can be fined anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on the number of offences.
More information on the new legislation can be found at their Web site, Iowasmokefreeair.gov.
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