Ellington

In between Gowen Hall and Suzzallo Library, four signs display in large, bold letters: “No Smoking on Campus.”

While smoking has not been entirely banned, the UW has recently made efforts to lessen smoking on campus.

As of Sept. 24, three former-designated smoking sites around Red Square and the Quad — between Gowen Hall and Suzzallo Library, west of Parrington and in front of Denny Hall — have been consolidated into one smoking site north of Odegaard Library.

When the Washington state Legislature declared the UW a smoke-free campus in 2007, it established a policy “to protect individuals from exposure to secondhand smoke in their university-associated environments and to protect life and property against fire hazards,” which regulated the number of designated smoking sites on campus.

David Leonard, the UW Environmental Health and Safety manager in charge of smoking policy on campus, works with smokers, UW Facilities Services and building coordinators to determine the best areas to designate for smoking. This process is ongoing and is influenced by the amount of complaints Leonard receives.

When Facilities Services’ arborists voiced concerns about damage to the trees in the old smoking zone in front of Denny Hall, this was reason enough to re-evaluate, Leonard said.

“Designated smoking areas under the drip line of trees creates compacted soils, which hurts the trees,” UW arborist Sara Shores said. “A footstep can exert as much or more force per unit area as does a tractor tire. Compacted soils under trees restricts the root’s access to oxygen, nutrients and water, and as a result, makes the tree more susceptible to disease and insects.”

The site’s move to the area behind Odegaard was also intended to keep smokers off the grass to avoid the creation of mud holes, Shores and Leonard both said.

The closure of the site between Gowen Hall and Suzzallo Library also stemmed from student and faculty complaints.

“I received multiple complaints from people who walked by Gowen Hall,” Leonard said. “We’ve had problems with smoke drifting up through the windows and into the classrooms. … It is fair to say I receive at least one smoking complaint a week, probably more.”

UW senior Jose Vazquez supported the closure of that smoking site.

“I think it’s great that they have gotten rid of the area by the Quad,” he said. “As a public-health major, I know that secondhand smoke is a huge trigger for increased levels of lung disease in our community, not to mention heart disease and stroke. I know that most students don’t worry about stroke now, but smoking will hurt us later on. … It is my right to be smoke-free.”

Alex Dimic, a junior transfer student, said that she tries as much as she can to smoke off campus.

“I only occasionally smoke on campus, because it’s not really something I want to do around other people,” she said.

Violations of the university smoking policy are enforced by the UWPD. Cmdr. Jerome Solomon of the UWPD said that the fine for smoking outside designated areas could be up to $205, depending on the court ruling.

The new consolidation of the smoking sites requires students to walk farther for their smoke break, but Solomon said his department hasn’t had any trouble so far with students still using the old smoking sites.

Leonard said that the designated smoking sites are not intended for the convenience of smokers.

“The University of Washington is smoke-free,” Leonard said. “These areas are for the convenience of non-smokers, not for the convenience of smokers.”

Reach reporter Laurel Christensen at news@dailyuw.com.