IU begins smoke-free campaign

House Enrolled Act 1149, Indiana’s first statewide smoke-free-air law, went into effect July 1. The new Act mandates nearly all public places in Indiana be smoke-free, including university campuses. Now, however, smokers within eight feet of a public entrance will be cited with an infraction. “It’s the same level of violation as a traffic ticket, so it will more than likely be enforced in that way,” Jerry Minger, IU Director of Public Safety said.

 The IU Police Department will be issuing citations. The IUPD task force will not increase, but Police Chief Keith Cash said certain locations may see more attention. “There used to be a smoking area by the library and the IMU, so we will be sure to address issues in those areas,” Cash said. Depending on circumstance, fines will range between $25 to $100. Individuals caught violating Act 1149 may be referred to both University officials and the Monroe County Court system. Students caught smoking will be assigned to the Dean of Students, and employees caught smoking will be assigned to Human Resources.

 Faculty who violate Act 1149 will be referred to the Office of Academic Affairs. Because this is a new policy, penalties for multiple infractions have not been defined yet. The month of July will serve as a “warning month” to educate individuals about the policy. September will also serve to educate students on IU’s smoke-free policy. “It’s too soon to tell whether it will have any impact on University environment,” Minger said. “People are more educated than they could be in rural areas, and in those areas there will be much more of a learning curve to deal with.”