St. Cloud U to begin tobacco ban

Tobacco use will be banned on the campus of St. Cloud State University starting Wednesday.

It's been nearly a two-year process enacting the ban, said Mary Bongers, assistant director of human resources at St. Cloud State.

Bongers said the use of tobacco added to litter around campus and created clouds of smoke outside buildings, near doors and ventilation systems.

"When when people moved away for the doors, which was respectful, they didn't realize — because these air intakes are above them and out of the plain sight of most people — that their smoke was directly going into people's offices and classrooms and that type of thing."

People can still use tobacco in their vehicles parked on campus, Bongers said. Tobacco use is also permitted in science experiments, theatrical productions or American Indian ceremonies.

"We have not gone through a process to set up any penalties. We are using the education modem for trying to enforce the new policy," Bonger said.

Metropolitan State University is the last of the seven MnSCU universities to still allow tobacco use on campus.