Striving for a smoke-free campus

By Sophia Tan

Should a campus-wide smoking ban be passed, smokers will have to leave campus for smoke breaks. PHOTO: VALERIE LAY

Lighting up a cigarette on campus? Stay at least five metres away from school buildings.

There are no designated smoking areas on campus, but smokers are expected to comply with guidelines set by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

This includes smoking only in open areas such as car parks, which must be at least five metres away from building entrances and exits.

In June, the NEA expanded the smoking ban to include reservoirs and over 400 parks in public and private estates.

On campus, the Office of Housing and Auxiliary Services, the Office of Development and Facilities Management, and the Office of Health and Safety (OHS) are jointly responsible for enforcing smoking regulations.

Besides regular patrols, the University’s security team also relies on tip-offs from students and staff on smoking activity.

OHS Deputy Director Goh Chin Foo said NTU does not have a strong smoking culture, and the main reason for enforcement on campus is to limit the impact of second-hand smoke.

There have been initial talks about passing regulations to make tertiary campuses entirely smoke-free, and some students the Nanyang Chronicle interviewed support proposals for a blanket ban.

“As someone who dislikes the smell of second-hand smoke, I will appreciate the cleaner environment,” said Stephanie Khoo, 21, a second-year student from Nanyang Business School (NBS).

Most smokers said they were aware of smoking regulations on campus, but felt a total ban was too extreme.

“It will be inconvenient for us to take a bus out of campus just to smoke, especially because we only have short breaks between lessons,” said Jianan Tng, a first-year NBS student.

The 21-year-old added that designated smoking areas would be a better compromise for students, as it saves time travelling out of school and limits second-hand smoke in other areas.

Some smokers added that ban or no ban, they will still seek out ways to grab a puff on campus grounds.

“I will find a way to smoke as I need a cigarette break every few hours,” said Edwin Ng, 24, who smokes in car parks on campus.

The third-year student from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering added: “I have been smoking for a long time and it has become part of my lifestyle.”