DU has been officially smoke-free for two weeks now, but the only change seems to be the bright blue signs announcing the ban on smoking. Ashtrays still dot the campus, cigarette butts still litter the ground and adults still continue to make decisions about how to treat their bodies.

Despite the university’s attempt to pay lip service to improving health, the smoking ban amounts to little more than encouragement of public shaming and a waste of money.

Every smoker knows that smoking kills. And while it’s true that a few students, faculty or staff may choose to quit because of the ban, most won’t. Why? DU’s campus is not that large, and it is bordered and crossed by several public streets and sidewalks, over which the university has no jurisdiction. In many cases, getting to a public sidewalk does not require more than walking 25 feet from a building entrance, as required under the previous smoking policy.

If the university were serious about trying to improve health, the ban wouldn’t include exemptions for two of the largest buildings on campus: the Newman Center for the Performing Arts and the Ritchie Center. These two buildings were chosen for exemption due to the “high traffic of visitors to these buildings for events,” according to du.edu/smokefree. What does this say about the university’s attitude toward visitors? Is the general public hardier than DU students and employees, who are obviously too vulnerable and fragile to be exposed to even a whiff of smoke?

Furthermore, it’s hard to take the ban seriously when ashtrays are still scattered about campus. If this campus is really smoke-free, why are there so many well-used ashtrays?

In addition, the policy calls for peer enforcement. According to du.edu/smokefree, “Every DU employee and student has a responsibility to adhere to policy and to remind others of policies.” In other words, if you see someone smoking, you have not only a right, but a responsibility, to tell him or her that he or she shouldn’t smoke.

In conclusion, DU should rescind this toothless policy and stop wasting money promoting a so-called smoke-free campus.