Ohio’s Board of Regents voted unanimously in favor of a smoking ban on Ohio’s public university campuses Monday.
The Board of Regents is able to make recommendations to universities but not implement policy changes.
"It's the right thing to do," said James Tuschman, Board of Regents chairman, in a news release. "Statistics prove that a tobacco-free campus significantly curbs the smoking habits of students, faculty and staff to make campuses healthier environments.”
The trustees at each university in Ohio will decide whether or not to allow tobacco on campus.
“Ohio University and its Board of Trustees will certainly discuss the Board of Regents' recommendations regarding becoming a tobacco-free campus,” said Peter Mather, Ohio University’s Board of Trustees secretary, in a statement.
OU requires smokers to be 25 feet away from residence halls and dining facilities and beyond ten feet of all other university buildings, according to a previous Post article.
“We will need some time to fully analyze the information and the implications for our university community,” Mather said. “Until then, we do not want to speculate on how it might affect Ohio University, but will provide the recommendations to our board members.”
sj950610@ohiou.edu
