Wednesday, July 19 2006
RALEIGH, NC - North Carolina community colleges could elect to be nonsmoking campuses, if a bill that passed the state Senate becomes law.
In a 47-2 vote, the Senate voted to allow campuses to impose smoking restrictions. The bill is now in the state House for consideration.
Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, sponsored the bill in the House.
"I think it adds another positive layer to the nonsmoking policy we started in legislative buildings during the short session," Fisher said.
The proposal came at the request of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
"A lot of people complained because they had to walk through the smokers to get to any of our buildings," said K. Ray Bailey, A-B Tech president.
Three years ago, the school looked into the feasibility of having a nonsmoking campus. But college administrators realized that state law doesn't allow the campuses to set the policy themselves, Bailey said.
The legislation passed by the Senate 0n Monday allows campuses to decide whether they will implement a nonsmoking policy.
If the legislature approves it, A-B Tech could begin its nonsmoking policy in fall 2007. The college would hold classes and post signs to warn students, faculty and visitors of the change.
Source: Citizen-times.com, as reported by Kerra L. Bolton (
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) in North Carolina
Published: July 12, 2006
