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As the University of Maine prepares to usher in the final stage of its tobacco-free policy in January by requiring full compliance through enforcement, the idea has been floated by one UMaine administrator to implement similar policies at other University of Maine System campuses.
Lauri Sidelko, director of UMaine’s Alcohol and Drug Education Program, which helps facilitate UMaine’s tobacco-free policy, recently addressed the board of trustees on the possibility of instituting a similar ban for other campuses within the system.
“I spoke to the board of trustees about a system-wide ban,” Sidelko said. “I don’t consider it a ban — it’s a policy change.”
However, according to Peggy Markson, system spokeswoman, there are no plans for a system-wide smoking ban.
“It’s not something that the board voted on,” Markson said, adding that she knew of no plans for a system-wide ban. “I spoke to the executive director of Student Affairs, and he said there’s nothing in the works.”
So far, only the Orono and Farmington campuses have considered smoking bans. According to Sidelko, Farmington’s smoking ban will imitate UMaine’s.
“I know Farmington’s plan is starting on [Jan. 1],” she said.
Sidelko added that the possibility of a system-wide ban is certainly there but enforcing one would be a challenge.
Farmington in particular could experience difficulties in achieving compliance at its campus. With public streets intersecting parts of the campus, enforcing a smoking ban could be difficult, if not impossible. Random passers-by may not take kindly to a policy that does not affect them.
“It’s all very different,” Sidelko said. “A campus that is separate like ours makes it easy to enforce, but a campus inside a city with buildings in separate parts raises new problems.”
Additionally, not every campus community would view a tobacco ban in the same light.
“Every campus has their own culture and own standards,” Sidelko said.
At UMaine, the tobacco ban has been met with both positive and negative feedback from students.
“We get plenty of people coming out for and against it,” Sidelko said. “The negative tends to be more outspoken, but we get plenty of positive support as well.”
If more campuses in the University of Maine System follow suit, they will join a groundswell of institutional support for the policy from such schools as the University of Kentucky, University of Florida and University of Michigan, among others.
“Over 500 campuses have gone smoking-free out of 4,200 nationwide,” Sidelko said.
Past polls have shown that smokers are a minority population on college campuses, even though many believe otherwise.
A 2010 American College Health Association report found that just 19 percent of college students reported smoking cigarettes at least once in the last 30 days. Conversely, the perceptions of the same students surveyed showed that students believed more than 80 percent of their peers had smoked in the same time period.
With legislation at both the state and campus levels consistently narrowing where smoking is allowed, the trend certainly doesn’t hold good news for smokers. Sidelko feels smoking will not be welcome on college campuses much longer.
“I think it’s a matter of time — maybe 10 years — before the rest follow suit,” she said.
