It’s not even inside the university, even near by will be covered by the non-smoking policy.

The George Washington University is set to implement a non-smoking policy near entrances to all University-owned buildings by next fall. The policy comes after legal threats from a University law professor and a student-led petition advocating the change.

According to Lisa Schutjer, GW’s associate general counsel, the policy will be enforced through signage near building doors and by moving ashtrays further away from entrances.

The University has not said if the signs will require smokers to remain a specific distance away from doorways. However, the Business and Operations Office’s Property Management group is scheduled to conduct a survey this summer of all GW buildings on where to best relocate smokers.

They are going to enforce the ban, extending it from 25-50 feet from the premises.

Carlye Austin, a PhD student at GW, started the petition to ban smoking within 25 feet or 50 feet of all University-owned buildings in early January. The petition currently has 513 signatures. Austin also organized a coalition of different student organizations on campus—the Public Health Student Association, Project HEALTH, and Keep GW Green—and Student Association senators, to promote her issue.

On Jan. 30, Austin received a memo from Fitzroy Smith, the director of risk management and insurance. In the memo, Smith wrote, “it is the general consensus of the University administration that it is just not feasible for GW with its urban campus to enforce such a policy.”

Source: Daily Colonial