Smokers beware - lighting up on Ball State University's campus could cost $50 beginning Monday.
Tom Morrison, associate vice president for business affairs, said staff from facilities planning and management spent Spring Break placing signs to designate the 12 smoking-permitted areas. Along with the signs, staff placed smoking receptacles and benches in some areas, Morrison said.
According to the Smoke-Free Implementation Task Force Report, anyone caught smoking outside one of the 12 designated smoking areas could be fined. During the first six months after implementation, violators will be given an "oops voucher," allowing them to attend a health program instead of paying the fine, according to the report.
Crews waited to place signs on campus until Spring Break so students would not think the restriction began earlier than expected, Morrison said.
"It all started last week," he said. "The weather, for the most part, cooperated. Pretty much [it has gone] as planned, and I have not heard of any issues in any of the areas."
According to the task force report, the university originally budgeted $20,000 for signage.
Morrison said the costs were much less, but he did not know the final number.
The university saved money by printing the signs in-house at Ball State's print shop, he said.
"The most expensive things were some replacement benches," he said. "[Staff] also had to do things on overtime because of Spring Break."
The university sent e-mails to students and staff and placed advertisements to alert the Ball State community to the policy change.
Morrison said in an interview earlier this month that staff who are responsible for enforcing the smoking ban received citation forms to give to violators. Department chairs, directors, deans and Ball State police all have authority to issue citations. The university provided training seminars earlier this month for those employees, Morrison said.
Kay Bales, vice president of student affairs, said in an interview earlier this month that the ban's enforcers would ask violators for identification to prevent students from lying about their names.
Phone calls to Bales were not returned Sunday.
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