May 21 , 2004 Print this page

More Campus Buildings Become Smoke Free Effective
June 1

More buildings on La Salle’s campus will become smoke free effective June 1. Only student residences will be excluded from the June 1 deadline. Administration officials adopted this policy based on recommendations and findings by the University’s Health Advisory Committee.

University officials cited health concerns for smokers, as well as “second-hand smoke,” for adopting the policy. In addition, smoking will be eliminated from Resident Halls this coming academic year. Apartment complexes will become smoke-free as of fall, 2005, and townhouses will become smoke-free as of fall, 2006. This element of the overall policy change was brought forward by the Community Development Advisory Board, working in coordination with the Health Advisory Committee and the Division of Student Affairs.

During the 2002-03 school year, the Health Advisory Committee conducted surveys among faculty and staff to gauge perceptions about smoking and found that a majority preferred a non-smoking environment.

“This policy brings us in line with comparable institutions in our area,” said Provost Richard Nigro. Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Drexel and Temple, for example, already have this policy in place.

For the past few years, the Health Advisory Committee has been conducting surveys of students and, based on its findings, recommended that smoking be eliminated from the Blue and Gold dining areas and from the Food Court and Intermissions areas in the Student Union Building. Smoking was permitted in the “Backstage” area, but that, too, will now be smoke free.