Meghan Holden

mholden@jconline.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University President Mitch Daniels is calling for an entirely smoke-free campus, but not everyone sees it as a smart step for the university.

Daniels proposed the idea to the University Senate at its meeting Wednesday. He told the group he's gathering feedback from employees and students across campus, but will look to the senate to make a final recommendation.

In 2001, the West Lafayette campus banned smoking inside residence halls. It extended the ban to all buildings in 2005 and prohibited people from smoking within 30 feet of building entryways. Most recently, in 2010, the university designated 21 smoking areas across campus.

"The proposed change would say that those 21 areas are no longer places where smoking is welcome; you have to leave the boundaries of the campus altogether," Daniels said at the meeting.

Student representatives have concerns, though, that the policy could drive students to live off campus.

"This is where students call home and they should be able to smoke here if they want to, and they shouldn’t have to take a mile walk off campus to smoke a cigarette," said Geri Denger, president of the Purdue Student Government. She noted the university prides itself on its large pool of students who live in campus housing.

She was also worried how the change would affect international students, who she said tend to smoke at a higher rate than domestic students.

The University Resources Policy Committee, which is reviewing the policy, held the same concerns.

"We’re not excited about preferentially disfavoring (international students)," said Alan Friedman, who chairs the committee.

He said the committee was evenly split on the issue, but members will continue to discuss it in future meetings.

Daniels said the Purdue Center for Cancer Research and the College of Pharmacy, along with various health-related student groups, strongly support a smoke-free campus.

"I can certainly understand the desire to not make smoking attractive," Friedman said.

Contact J&C higher education reporter Meghan Holden at mholden@jconline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @MeghanHolden.

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