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U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F LO R I DA
The smoke-free policy continues to be met with mixed reviews By Maria Ranoni C O R R E S P O N D E N T
The USF Tampa Tobaccoand Smoke-Free Policy began on Jan. 4, 2016. It prohibits the use of tobacco and related products on campus. It was initially met with mixed reviews from students, which continues to be the case. The policy states that if a student is repeatedly caught using tobacco on campus they will be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be handled accordingly. Currently, administration offers a form students can submit online to report people smoking. Dr. Rita DeBate, the associate vice president of Health and Wellness at USF, worked on a research study with students using geographic information systems (GIS) to determine the effectiveness of the policy enforcement to date. “After the first year of implementation, we did a research study to see what the impact was and how people were with regard to the peer monitoring
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of the smoking and peer enforcement of the policy,” DeBate said. “A couple of students walked the campus and they GIS mapped where anyone was smoking on campus or where there was a pile cigarette butts. In addition to that, in the map, they noted if there was a no smoking sign or not.” DeBate and her students concluded that the main problem with enforcement was a lack of communication about the policy. “The study found that we need better communication of the policy to our faculty, staff, and students,” DeBate said. “In addition to that we need better signage around campus because the GIS mapping technology told us that many of the places that people were smoking there was no non-smoking signage. That (research study) was presented to senior administration and they approved new signage and we’re in the process of getting that signage.” Currently, there are no plans to create new enforcement methods or
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