By: Saunta Anderson

The Office of Physical Plant announced last week that the fountain area between Albers Hall and Logan Hall is now a designated non-smoking area due to the cigarette smoke entering the Albers building.

The fountain is located next to the outdoor ventilation shaft, where air from outside enters Albers. Physical Plant received many complaints concerning the odor of cigarette smoke, which spread throughout Albers. The laboratory classrooms beneath the fountain were also affected by the cigarette odor.

Physical plant is moving the smokers based on state law and building codes. The laws require the university to ensure that tobacco smoke does not enter any area in which smoking is prohibited through entrances, windows, ventilation systems or other means.

Physical Plant placed a non-smoking sign in front of the fountain and removed the urns last week.

Students and faculty can still smoke outside on the academic mall in other areas where smoking is not prohibited and in locations 25 feet from the entrance, operable windows and ventilation system of the buildings.

Approximately 1,178 college campuses are smoke free, including Miami University and the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center College of Medicine. An estimated 793 of those campuses are tobacco free.

On the executive Student Government Association (SGA) ballot last spring, students had a chance to vote on whether or not Xavier should be a smoke-free campus. This policy would have included students, faculty and staff. SGA strived to not only ban smoking on campus grounds, but also implement a program to assist smokers with quitting.

The policy would have banned smoking on campus, but not necessarily other forms of tobacco use on campus, including hookah. The suggested policy was never implemented, but could be put on the ballot again with the help of student organizations, including Colleges Against Cancer.

Further questions about the non-smoking policies surrounding the fountain area should be directed to Walt Bonvell, (513) 745-1927.