‘Smokers tell enforcers that they throw their stubs on the ground for lack of an alternative.’ Photo Shutterstock Smokers toss their cigarette stubs on the ground despite the smoking ban on the campus. WUR has contracted the company Peukenzee to remove the stubs on Thursday, ‘Smokers tell enforcers that they throw their stubs on the ground for lack of an alternative.’
In keeping with the national policy to keep educational grounds smoke-free as of 2020, the WUR part of the campus is smoke-free. At least, it should be. That the smoking ban would not do much to encourage employees and students to quit smoking was to be expected. However, all smoking facilities have been removed from the campus after the ban came into effect.
Smokers continue to light up on the campus and want to get rid of their cigarette ends. But there are no ashtrays or alternative provisions. So, they toss their stubs onto the streets or in the bushes, stub-removal reveals. A smoke-free campus that requires such cleaning initiatives is a cause for question. It should be unnecessary to remove stubs.
Enforcement
‘The ban is enforced by security personnel among others’, says a spokesperson of Facilities & Services. ‘Enforcers and the Peukenzee employees are told by smokers that the reason they dispose of their stubs on the ground is the lack of an alternative. Moreover, enforcers lack the authority to impose sanctions or demand identification which would enable them to register offenders.’
‘The Peukenzee cleaning-up initiative will help estimate how many stubs are discarded. This will allow us to monitor whether the number of stubs and thus violations of the smoking ban, decreases over time’, says the spokesperson. ‘Furthermore, the initiative aims to raise awareness. We ask smokers whether they are aware of the smoking ban on the campus. And whether they realise they are polluting the environment.’
Alternative
The law prohibits alternatives. ‘As soon as WUR condones smoking by making stub pouches or ashtrays available, steep fines can be issued. This is an issue with which many educational facilities are struggling. It is difficult to enforce the smoking ban.’
