Students smoldering over smoking violations

By Larissa Larivee
Smoking in the no-smoking area is a growing problem at NCC. Students are breaking the rules and smoking where they are not supposed to. The Bloomington City Council passed a smoking ban prohibiting the use of tobacco in public places. NCC has done a wonderful job providing the appropriate services to the smokers as required by the ordinance.

According to the City Council, “the purpose of the ordinance is to protect public health, safety and welfare by better insuring the ability of citizens, employees and vulnerable
populations to breathe safe and uncontaminated air.”

The ordinance also states that there should be “no smoking within 25 feet of entrances and exits.” The only exceptions to this are private residences, privately owned vehicles, sleeping rooms of hotels and motels that are rented to guests and use of tobacco as part of traditional Native American spiritual rituals or cultural ceremonies.

With such clearly stated rules, there is no reason smokers can’t comply.

According to one student who used to smoke, it happens because the smokers just do not care. He says that they just walk along and put out their cigarettes when they get to the door, or they will light up their cigarettes as soon as they walk out. He never noticed until he quit smoking how often this happens.

Another student, who is a non-smoker and plays a wind instrument, feels that the blatant disregard for the rules is rude and potentially harmful to her. Because her lungs are so vital to her ability to play, the second-hand smoke is particularly unwelcome. She was waiting for the bus with a group of people smoking
by her, directly next to a no-smoking sign, and they did not seem to care.

According to NCC security, this is a real problem. However, the only punishment is a request that the students move to the designated smoking area. NCC security guards see people breaking the rule a lot, and the students continue to creep closer and closer to the entrances. The only way to stop students from smoking in the wrong areas would be to ban it entirely. Security views the matter as “if you give them an inch, they will take a mile.”

There are 16 no-smoking signs in front of the main entrance. At times the signs have been turned around or knocked down because of downright disrespect for the policy in place. Smokers are very protective of their rights. They certainly do not want to see smoking banned, but the rules are being broken.

According to the ordinance, the punishment for “violation of any provision of this Division shall be a petty misdemeanor.” Also, according to Mark Stangenes, R.S. Environmental Health Program Coordinator, “When we investigate any complaint,
including smoking ban complaints, we first issue a set of written orders and discuss the violation with the property owner [or] manager when a violation is found. If compliance is not met through written orders, we then can use other methods to obtain compliance including issuing citations. A violation of the smoking
ban is considered a misdemeanor and would be subject to those limits.”