Guns yes, smoking no

From July 1, people will be allowed to carry concealed handguns at Wichita State University, Kansas, US, but they will be banned from smoking or vaping there, according to a story by Dion Lefler for the Wichita Eagle.

The policy on handguns has been ordered by the Legislature and that on smoking and vaping by university leaders.

Across the campus, it is possible to find students who support every possible permutation: Ban guns and cigarettes, don’t ban either one, or ban one but not the other.

But, Lefler explains, the status quo is not an option on guns. Two years ago, the Legislature passed and Governor Sam Brownback signed into law a bill that opens almost all public spaces and public buildings to the carrying of concealed handguns, including college classrooms, offices and dormitories.

Called “constitutional carry” by its supporters, the law requires neither a permit nor training to carry a concealed weapon for people over 21, an age group that includes many college juniors and seniors.

The only places where guns can be excluded are buildings with metal detectors and guards to run them at every entrance, which university officials say is impractically expensive on campuses with dozens of buildings and hundreds of entrances.

The new smoking rules deviate from a state law that allows outdoor smoking outside a 10-foot radius of public-building doors and air intakes.

The new university policy prohibits smoking outdoors on almost all university property, including streets, sidewalks and parking lots, though there are some exceptions.

Outdoor smoking in defiance of the policy won’t be a prosecutable offense with fines or citations. Nor will violations count as punishable misconduct for students and employees.

Instead, users of tobacco products will get a polite scold from student and faculty members designated as ambassadors for the tobacco-free campus policy.

Lefler’s piece is at: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article158200119.html.