University of Otago students use a measuring tape to
discover how far from a university building they will have
to be to light up a cigarette. Holding one end of the tape
is Otago University Students' Association president Harriet
Geoghegan and at the other end are smokers (from left)
Nathan Ladbrook, Jeff Bray, Lozza Kiff, Ed Wilson and
Patrick Macrae. Photo by Jane Dawber.
The days of indulging in a quick cigarette in a sheltered
doorway outside a lecture theatre or office will soon be a
thing of the past for University of Otago students and staff.
The university was updating its smoke-free policy and
intended to ban smoking within 6m of any buildings on the
Dunedin campus, vice-chancellor Prof Sir David Skegg
announced yesterday.
Smoking would be banned from outdoor areas at the
university's Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill
campuses.
The building it used as a base in Auckland was already
smoke-free.
But Prof Skegg said it had not been possible to ban smoking
altogether on the Dunedin campus because some buildings were
located "a considerable distance" from public spaces beyond
the campus.
"Smoking in the open area constitutes no risk to other
people, but there are frequent complaints about people
smoking by doorways and near windows or air vents.
"While we aspire to achieve a completely smoke-free
environment in the future, it is necessary to consider the
rights of a significant number of staff and students who are
addicted to smoking . . .
"It is hoped these measures will be seen as striking an
appropriate balance between [smokers] and the preferences of
many other members of the university community," he told the
university council.
A university spokesman said the new policy would be
introduced shortly, once staff had been informed and
arrangements put in place.
The decision drew mixed reactions from students smoking
outside the University Union building yesterday.
Philosophy student Patrick Macrae (21) said he believed the
ruling was "fair enough".
"It's just another rule to keep people in check.
"I find smokers are arrogant about their habit," he said.
"They flick their cigarette butts on the ground and don't
care about the mess they make."
He was not fazed by the idea of standing in the cold and
rain.
"I'm from Dunedin. It won't stop me from smoking."
Nathan Ladbrook (19) agreed a ban on smoking within 6m of
doorways was appropriate.
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