Students caught smoking tobacco on City College’s campus can rest easy knowing they won’t be given a citation.

This semester the college started a new policy regarding the ban of all tobacco products. Students who are caught using tobacco on campus are issued lollipops and pamphlets regarding the health risks of tobacco.

Erik Fricke, head of campus security, mentioned that while they can issue citations, he doesn’t see it as necessary because of how successful the new policy has been so far.

“We don’t see the need too,” said Fricke. “But that could change, I hope we don’t have to resort to that.”

The policy is intended to maintain a safe campus by eliminating second-hand smoke hazards and reduce discarded cigarette trash in the community. The Board of Trustees approved the policy change at its Thursday, June 27 meeting.

Most faculty and students around campus seem thrilled with the policy.

“I think it’s great,” said Sean Conway, a third year student. “I used to hate walking past the smoking areas and inhaling all the second-hand smoke.”

The ban has caused new unofficial smoking areas to form near school entrances.

“We placed ash trays here so that students could put out their cigarettes before they entered school grounds,” said Fricke. “But they seem to have turned into areas for smokers to congregate.”

City College isn’t the first learning institution to ban tobacco in California, 11 other colleges have gone tobacco free.

“We’re playing catch-up here,” said Superintendent-President Dr. Lori Gaskin. “Santa Barbara has long been known to be on the forefront of health, fitness and environmental sensitivity.”

Gaskin continued by mentioning how the transition “has been incredibly smooth,” and that “its almost like people had been expecting it.”

On the other end of the spectrum, students who had utilized the designated smoking areas provided a wider breadth of responses regarding the new policy.

“I feel that as a publicly funded institution, students should have the right to smoke in designated smoking areas on campus that have lower volumes of foot traffic,” said Landon Mills, a third year student at SBCC.

Students such as Mills also noted that the new ban is causing smokers on campus to find hidden places around the school to smoke.

“Since this semester started, I have noticed more and more [cigarette] butts around campus,” said Mills. “It’s sad to see areas such as the horticulture garden littered with butts.”

As people adjust to the new rule, signs reading, “SBCC is proud to be tobacco and smoke free” can be found around campus. They serve as reminders to students and faculty from the administration to take their tobacco habits elsewhere.

Student health services has information on the City College website that offers free information on how to quit and the risks of using tobacco.

For more information on the Tobacco Cessation Program check out this article written by The Channels.

S. Magnus Lundgren smokes a cigarette, after a long day of classes on the lawn in front of the Luria Library on Sept. 12, 2013. Smoking has recently been prohibited campus-wide even in formerly designated areas.