A partial smoking ban started two years ago to clear the air around campus has succeeded, university officials say, though none of the money raised in fines has gone to help students quit smoking, as planned.
Smokers face a $50 fine for lighting up on campus outside of 11 designated areas. Lit cigarettes are now rarely seen on campus sidewalks.
A review of campus records by the Daily News shows an average of about two and a half citations per month, mostly in or around residence halls. The policy was put in place March 18, 2008.
Of the 69 citations written, 71 percent were written near residence halls, 35 percent were written around LaFollette and half of those were written around Shively Hall. The Daily News compiled the numbers from copies of the citations obtained via a public records request.
"Certainly it was a good approach to addressing concerns about the health and well-being of campus visitors, employees and students," Kay Bales, vice president for Student Affairs, said.
Bales led the Smoke-free Implementation Task Force that was started in 2007 and issued a report to the Board of Trustees late that year.
She said she's heard from few students about the policy. Those who have commented seem to support the policy.
"Of the complaints I have received, it's people who would prefer that we move or eliminate some of the smoking areas, which we did," she said.
The smoking area behind Pruis Hall was eliminated this fall because there were complaints of smoke entering the Arts and Communication Building.
When Ball State announced the policy two years ago, the university said some of the money from fines would go toward smoking cessation programs. However, none of the $2,800 collected in fines so far has been spent to help students stop smoking,
She said there were no pre-conceived notions of how many students would receive citations, and she doesn't know when the university will start putting the funds to use.
"Actually we've not used the money yet," she said. "But it will help support SGA campaign about the policy and will use money to replenish materials that describe the policy."
Bales said $650 in fines is still outstanding.
A training seminar was held weeks before the policy was instated. Smoking citations can be issued by department chairpersons, directors, deans and university police. The $50 fine was waived for six months after the policy was put into effect.
Sophomore Kait Buck said she doesn't mind the smoking areas. It's where she met her college friends, and because it's a sort of a social activity, she said it's hard to stop smoking.
"It's not the nicotine, but the act of smoking," she said. "That's a habit too."
Buck said she chain smokes at parties because she always needs to have something in her hands.
"It's a love-hate thing," she said. "If they took away the smoking area it would probably help me quit, but I'd be sad not to be able to smoke."
Char Maris, residence hall director in Shively Hall, wrote 14 citations during the past two years, the most written by one person. She said there's no special reason she's written so many, except students should follow the policy, and the policy should be enforced.
"Here at LaFollette, we made it clear where the smoking area is and added seating," she said. "A lot of students were of the opinion they could be anywhere to smoke."
Most of the 69 citations were written near LaFollette Complex, and Maris said that's probably because it has such a large population.
Smoking cessation classes are offered by the Employee QuickClinic and the Amelia T. Wood Health Center. Maris said very few students probably take advantage of smoking cessation classes, and she only knows of two.
Student Government President Matt Whitlock said the smoking policy is a step in the right direction toward a complete campus smoking ban. Earlier this year, SGA was considering a campaign to eliminate smoking on Ball State's campus, but as the year went on, it took a different focus.
The bigger problems, Whitlock said, were students not following the policy, and residence hall directors receiving complaints.
"Concerns were about education, and if we were going to take any action it would be on policy," he said.
He said more citations were written during the first year of having the policy, and responsibility falls on employees as well as resident assistants.
"Socially it's kind of awkward," he said. "I always think faculty have that responsibility and they're probably more reluctant to follow it than students."
Sophomore Rebecca Laugle, a smoker, transferred from Indiana State University this year. At ISU, students are allowed to smoke on the way to class. She said Ball State's rule took some getting used to.
"Sometimes it's a hassle, but I've met a lot of people in the smoking section," she said.
Annie Whigham, who works at Block and Barrel, sat among a group of employees from the food court at one picnic table last Monday, while students sat at another table. The smoking area is the busiest around lunch time, dinner time and between classes, Whigham said.
She said students congregate in small groups throughout the day.
"It's like an Indian tribe," she said. "They all have a pow wow."
She said when students leave a mess of cigarette butts, she tells them to clean it up.
"I holler at them to come get it," she said.
Ball State is considered a smoke free campus because of its designated areas. Most of the smokers around campus seem content with the rules, but in 2007, discussion was heated.
On Sept. 13, 2007, a referendum was passed in favor of a campus-wide smoking ban. Of the 6,600 students who voted, about 61 percent supported the ban. Later that month, students protested the ban at the Scramble Light, saying students have the choice of where they want to smoke.
Sophomore Ben Moffitt said it's not so bad having to smoke in certain areas, but he wishes they were covered.
"Cover the smoking areas. Please," he said standing in the rain with a cigarette between his fingers.
He said he's smoked on the way to class before and never gotten caught.
Moffitt said what he would really like to do is quit.
"I used to do it when I was at the peak of stress. Now I do it four, six times a day," he said. "You will get addicted, whether you say you will or not."
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