Plan for outdoor smoking ban at college campus

THE Wexford Campus of Carlow IT is to become a smoke free zone within the next few months when staff, students and visitors will be banned from smoking anywhere in the vicinity of the college.

The move follows a ban on smoking outdoors at the Institute of Technology in Carlow which came into effect on National No Smoking Day on Ash Wednesday.

A Carlow IT spokeswoman said plans are now underway to introduce the smoke free status to the campus at St. Peter’s College. in Wexford.

Under the initiative, smoking will be restricted to designated smoking shelters to create a smoke-free environment around the main campus buildings.The new policy will include the use of electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic pipes and other ‘electronic nicotine delivery systems intended to simulate smoking’, according to the spokeswoman. Smoking at entrances and on pathways around the campus will be prohibited.The introduction of the IT Carlow ban had the backing of the Institute’s Students Union. A survey was carried out of of more than 1,300 students and staff with over 44% of the respondents in favour of a smoke free campus and a further 41% supporting the initiative, with a request for designated smoking shelters on campus.The first day of the initiative will see fresh flowers and plants placed on outdoor litter bins and celebratory balloons at entrances to buildings where people usually smoke, alongside Smoke Less Campus signage.