The rock group ZZ Top had difficulty complying with the smoke-free policy at the University of Illinois Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium when they performed there in October 2013.
“Drummer Frank Beard lit up on stage and I said 'Frank!' and he said, 'Yeah, OK,' but he kept smoking, and I thought, 'Are you going to put it out or keep on smoking?’” said Sangamon Auditorium Director Robert Vaughn. “He just kept right on smoking. But he was drumming on stage, and I had the choice of either calling law enforcement and stop the show dead in its tracks or just let it go.”
The show went on, and despite the band's flagrant violation of the auditorium's smoke-free policy, patrons have generally been much more conscientious, smoking only in designated areas outside the auditorium. But will those same patrons keep coming to performances after Wednesday when smoking is no longer permitted, either indoors or out, on Illinois college campuses?
“I believe that our patrons will be cooperative in helping us to comply with the law,” Vaughn said. “There probably will be some people who feel that it is a more hostile environment than they want to get involved with for some events. There are always some who will object when you make changes. We may see some slight falloff of business as a result of this initially, but it's the right thing to do. I don't see it in the bottom line necessarily.”
Nowhere to go
Provisions of the state of Illinois' Smoke Free Campus Act take effect Wednesday. Beginning that day, smoking on all state-supported college and university campuses in Illinois will be prohibited. There will be no designated smoking areas, and people on campus, whether students, faculty or visitors, will only be able to light up in private vehicles parked on or traveling through campus.
“The campus has sent out a variety of communications to alert faculty, staff, students, and the community in the past year” regarding the Smoke Free Campus Act, said UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp, who added the word is getting out through campus emails, the UIS website, social media, digital sign messages on campus, and information included with each ticket purchased for auditorium events.
Provisions of the Smoke Free Campus Act
The Illinois Smoke Free Campus Act was signed Aug. 17, 2014, by former Gov. Pat Quinn.
The act prohibits smoking on the campuses of all state-supported colleges and universities effective July 1, 2015, and applies to both indoor and outdoor spaces on campuses.
Exceptions to the law are made for smoking inside privately owned vehicles parked on or traveling through campus and certain activities allowed under the Federal American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
Beginning July 1, 2016, smoking will no longer be allowed in vehicles either parked on or traveling through the University of Illinois Springfield campus.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 29, 2015.
Read the entire article here.
