Smoking area removed from Ball State's campus

Smokers on Ball State University's campus may have to walk a little farther before lighting up now that there is one less designated smoking area.An e-mail sent Tuesday announced that the smoking area between the Arts and Communications Building and Pruis Hall has been eliminated. Kay Bales, vice president for student affairs, said it was removed because smoke from the area was leaking into the first floor of the Arts and Communications Building.The smoking area had been established for about two weeks. Before that, it was located near the Emens Auditorium Parking Garage. Bales said it was moved from the original location because the university received "too many" complaints about the smoking area. Some students who have classes in the Arts and Communications Building are happy to see the smoking area removed. Senior Diana Kaiser said she is in the building "24/7" and that since the beginning of the Fall Semester she has noticed cigarette smoke concentrated in one hallway near the smoking area. "I kind of feel bad for smokers, but I think it's better this way," she said. But not all students share the same sentiments. Freshmen Bekah Gross and Marie Deveau, who live in Woodworth Commons, sat smoking cigarettes at the former designated area Tuesday evening, despite the policy change."People are going to smoke anyway," Gross said. "It's just going to make people break the rules more."Freshman Samuel Shafer said he smoked at the former location every day. "I smoked there before class and now it's gone," he said. "It's kinda inconvenient."Sophomore Paul Ingersoll said he used to frequent the former smoking area about three times each day because it was the most convenient location for him.
"I don't have time to go all the way over to the other areas," he said. "By the time you get to smoking area, you could have already smoked."
Bales said they took these concerns into consideration, but that "it's very difficult to find an area on that side of campus where there isn't a lot of foot-traffic."Ball State's smoke-free initiative has been in effect since March 17, 2008. There are now 11 designated smoking areas, including Scheumann Stadium's parking lot.