Smoking has been banned in the buildings on campus for a long time. But smoking is allowed in the grounds, with special smokers’ shelters dotted around them. As of August 2020, however, no smoking will be allowed there either. The government has said that by that date the grounds of educational institutions, including university campuses, must be smoke-free. A project team is going to work out how to implement the smoking ban, the WUR Executive Board decided this week.
Time is running out
In a way, the government has overtaken WUR, explains Peter Booman of Facilities and Services. ‘The Executive Board decided last year to make the campus smoke-free in phases by 2013. So now that has to be August 2020.’ Time is running out, then, while there are still some issues to iron out.
The student rooms at Campus Plaza are personal space, of course.
Peter Booman, Facilities and Services.
The main point to clarify is how far the smoking ban extends. For example, says Booman, whether it covers Campus Plaza and the student accommodation there. ‘The student rooms at Campus Plaza are personal space, of course. And the square is not ours but DUO’s.’ Nor is it clear whether the ban applies to businesses on the campus or to off-campus WUR sites.
Further subjects of discussion are how to phase the implementation of the ban and how to enforce it. And thought is being given to how to help students and staff who want to stop smoking.