The Daily O’Collegian

ZACH GRAY / O’Colly

But for student smokers, not following the policy is just as

resistive as breaking any other rule. For them, OSU’s “Breathe Easy” policy is nothing more than words on paper.

It’s hard for students to miss the message — e-mails, video messages and tobacco-free signs.

The campus went tobacco-free July 1, but students and faculty still light up. OSU is the first university in the Big 12 to enact a tobacco-free policy.

“This is a very important step in making Oklahoma State University a cleaner, healthier and more attractive campus,” President Hargis said in a video message July 1.

The policy may have been developed with good intentions, but after only three days into the new semester many students have yet to join the program. Shane Rickman, an economics senior, said he feels the policy is absurd.

“It’s the administration looking like they are doing something to improve something, but it doesn’t really do anything,” he said. “I think all it is going to do is create unnecessary tension on campus.”

Rickman, who started smoking this year, is not a lone rebel who feels the need to light up on campus.

April Helms, who has smoked five years, wasn’t happy when she heard about the “Breathe Easy” policy.

“I was a little upset because I enjoy smoking on campus,” said Helms, a math education junior. “It is outdoors and I don’t see any reason why I can’t.”

Helms continues to smoke on campus despite the policy.

Without police enforcement, other students, like William Kennedy, a liberal studies sophomore, don’t feel threatened.

“I smoked on campus anyway (once hearing the new policy),” Kennedy said. “I don’t know how they can enforce it.”

The policy is not a law. Campus police won’t cite smokers as long as they follow state law to stay 25 feet away from building entrances.

OSU adopted the policy in response to the Oklahoma Smoking in Public Places and Indoor Workplaces Act, which the Oklahoma state legislature passed in 2003. The act requires OSU to adopt regulations for smoking in facilities owned, leased or under the control of the university.

Without police enforcement, responsibility for disciplinary action is put in the hands of a dean in cases of multiple time offenders.

Helms said she continues to enjoy the occasional campus smoke without fear.

“As far as I know is it is not being enforced by OSU police, and as far as I know the only thing anyone can do is shake their finger at me, which that doesn’t scare me,” Helms said.

Although students aren’t following the policy, some like Aaron Daggs are following the state law that requires smokers to stand 25 feet away from buildings.

“I doubt they can enforce that rule because there are way too many students that smoke on campus that will smoke,” said Daggs, a business management junior.

Although he chooses to smoke, Kennedy is not quite as bold as some of his campus counterparts when it comes to taking a smoke out of his pocket.

“I don’t smoke around campus buildings, the courtyard or Union,” Kennedy said. “I smoke on North Monroe and around the construction sites because I don’t think many people care on Monroe, and most of the construction workers smoke.”