Beginning Spring Semester, smokers may have to walk farther before they’re able to light up.
SGA Director of Student Services Lindsay Knox met with KSU’s Department of Public Safety in regards to students expressing concerns over the proximity of the designated smoking areas to the buildings on campus.
“Frequently mentioned was concern with being exposed to secondhand smoke,” said Vice President for Operations Randy Hinds. “Also there were many complaints about some smoking areas being too close to walkways leading a campus building.”
While several of the smoking areas are set to move, not all of them will be relocated.
“The Social Science Building is an example that was referenced most often,” Hinds said, “and the first smoking area we are addressing.”
This smoking area will be moved closer to the Public Safety building. The area is projected to be finished by the end of this month and will feature benches and weather-protected shelters.
“They are ecstatic about it, they appreciate that we care about them; they are not discombobulated over it,” said Leshawn Smash-Jett, an executive aide, about the feedback from students.
Depending on how the change goes this will be administered to other smoking locations on campus.
“There have been initial conversations [with] Residence Life about smoking,” said SGA President Katherine Street. “We hope to have some progress in that soon.”