Smoke Between Classes? Not Anymore.

Athens, GA – A unanimous decision by the Board of Regents yesterday says tobacco products are no longer allowed on public university campuses. And UGA will abide by that rule.

The ban will go into affect on October 1st. It’s an effort by the Board of Regents to “preserve and improve the health, comfort, and environment” of any University System of Georgia facilities. The vice chancellor says he feels like it is the Board’s “responsibility to promote the health of well-being” of those on campuses.

The punishment for using tobacco products on campus will vary by university. Tom Jackson, Vice President of Public Affairs at UGA says they haven’t discussed all the details yet. The CEO of The University of North Georgia’s Oconee campus, who has had this ban for several years now, says if people are smoking, he usually just asks for them to put it out. If they don’t, students can be sent to the Dean of Students. It would be very hard for someone to get kicked out because of that, he says.

Like every issue, there are opposing views. One smoker says this isn’t going to stop him from smoking and that he thinks it’s “ridiculous” to ban smoking like this. But a Health Promotion professor says he thinks this is a set in the right direction, and that this ban is “long overdue.”

Alexa Knowles, reporting.

 

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