Earlier last year, a smoking ban was approved during a Board of Trustees Meeting, and is still causing controversy.

The smoking ban prohibits “cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snuff, snus, water pipes, hookahs, chew and any other non-combustible tobacco product” according to Board Policy 3570.

Smoking is not only banned on campus according to this policy but it is also banned in any parking lots that are district property.

“I just hope students know that there is a policy, and I hope they abide by the rules,” President of the Board of Trustees, Ken Brown said.

With the smoking ban policy in affect, some are following the rules, but if others are caught smoking on campus it may not have any consequences.

“We are not citing people, we are allowed to cite them but that has not been necessary because people are complying,” Chief of Police, Michael Trevis said.

“People who are found smoking are told to just go smoke on the sidewalk, which is not district property, and so far everyone has cooperated with us, so there has been no need to cite people,” Trevis said.

On another note, according to Trevis, “Although there are still a few ash trays around campus, we already got rid of most of them. Whenever we find an ash tray around campus we call facilities and they come with a forklift… and get rid of it.”

There are many that are satisfied with the smoking ban, but there are others opposed to completely removing smoking from the campus.

“I’ve seen the signs, I’ve read the paper,” Christian Placencia, 21, math major said. “I think a ban’s too much, there should be areas specifically for smoking away from crowds.” Just like Christian there are many more students that disagree with this situation.