A proposed University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campuswide smoking ban now seems unlikely to pass , according to university officials.

Currently, smoking is not allowed in any building on the UW-Stevens Point campus, nor within close proximity to the residence halls, said Stephen Ward, UW-Stevens Point executive director and assistant to the chancellor.

The proposal would ban smoking in buildings, facilities, campus grounds and university vehicles.

Ward said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald that of the 9,000 students on campus, 24 percent say they smoke, and 15 percent say they smoke every day.

Chair Gerry Ring of the UW-Stevens Point University Affairs Committee — which recommends new policies regarding university facilities, student affairs and human relations — said based on the feelings and opinions of fellow committee members, the committee will most likely not vote in favor of the campuswide smoking ban.

To be implemented, the smoking ban proposal must pass the UAC, Faculty Senate and university administrators. Ring said even if the UAC passes the proposal, the Faculty Senate will likely deny it.

At the UW-Stevens Point UAC meeting Jan. 25, no vote on the campus-wide smoking ban took place because there was nobody there to present the proposal.

UW-Stevens Point Environmental Health and Safety Committee Chair Dick Bartos said nobody from the committee, including himself, was available to support the proposal, so it is currently on the back-burner until they can schedule a new time.

“In 1998, the university adopted the current smoking policy resolution and we tried a few years ago to pass a campus-wide smoking ban, but it failed,” Bartos said. “We are trying again because the Wisconsin Indoor Smoking Ban is going into effect on July 5.”

Ring said that it will most likely be a few weeks until the smoking ban will be voted on.

Bartos added because there is currently an interim chancellor at the university, the proposal will most likely be put off until a new chancellor is appointed and hopefully he or she will support the ban.

“As an avid anti-smoker, I don’t see any merit for smoking in the workplace, but it becomes very difficult when trying to stop someone from smoking outside because it could be an infringement on individual rights,” Ring said.

As for enforcement, Bartos said they don’t want smoking police, but rather a change in culture.

Currently there are no official plans regarding how the campuswide smoking ban would be enforced at UW-Stevens Point and none will be made until the decision to implement a campus-wide smoking ban is final.

UW-Madison has a very similar smoking policy.

UW Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell said that currently no smoking is permitted in campus buildings, facilities and vehicles, smokers must be at least 25 feet away from campus buildings and there is a complete non-smoking zone surrounding UW Health Science facilities and grounds.

Bazzell said although the UW-Madison Police Department does not necessarily target smokers on campus, it currently enforces all smoking regulations and tries to inform violators of all places where smoking is prohibited and allowed.