Students are questioning whether Appalachian State University’s new smoking policy is working as intended.

According to Administrative Policy Twenty Three on the Appalachian Web site, the smoking rule was created to “maintain a healthy work and learning environment.”

Along with preventing hazards such as second-hand smoke, the policy aims at lessening institutional cleaning and maintenance expenses by including “smoking butts” in the litter prohibition bullet.

Since the policy went into effect July 1, 2009, ashtrays around school grounds have been removed to encourage a smoke-free campus.

“I thought part of the original intent of the policy was to reduce litter on campus,” Andrew K. Borgna, senior economics and risk management insurance double-major, said, “but now there are more cigarette butts than ever because there is no where to put them out and people end up dropping them on the ground.”

According to Jim Bryan, landscape superintendent at Appalachian, a lot of the smoking urns that were near buildings were taken out when the updated smoking policy went into effect.

“We have placed several ash receptacles near benches that are at least 50 feet away from dorms,” Bryan said. “But my preference would be that we would have a smoke-free campus.”

Students who would like to see a smoke-free campus have begun to question whether campus police are enforcing the no-smoking rule enough.

According to Appalachian Police Chief Gunther Doerr said, 170 names have been logged in the anti-smoking database since Jan. 1, 2009, meaning those people have been confronted by an Appalachian police officer about the smoking policy.

Doerr said two people have been issued a citation for violating the rule.

“I hate leaving cigarette butts on the ground, so I put them out and try to throw them in the trash,” Brianna L. Stanley, junior exercise science major, said while smoking outside Belk Library & Information Commons. “Putting more ashtrays around campus would really help everything out because the rule isn’t going to stop people from smoking.”

Story: RACHEL DINKIN, Intern News Reporter