Jan. 1, 2010, was a big day for the University of Denver. It was the official launch of the tobacco free campus. While this project has been part of an ongoing initiative for the past several years, the Chancellor made an official decision last spring.

Student leaders on the Undergraduate Student Government Senate, formerly AUSA, voted to support the ban amidst some concerns. The first of these concerns, and probably most visible, was enforcement.

Today, already a month and a half into the ban, I still question its enforcement.

As an Arts and Humanities student, I spend much of my time in Sturm Hall. I was, and continue to be, no stranger to the smoke cloud formations that take place after every class.

Still, this happens many places across campus. Last week, I witnessed fifteen people light up cigarettes on their way to class (yes, I did keep count). I could have said something but I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t.

During the initial push for the tobacco ban, the Health and Counseling Center admitted that the enforcement of the ban would be a mutual responsibility between university officials and students.

First, Campus Safety would be the main enforcer but the expectation of peer responsibility was also stressed.

Having experienced a failure to respond to the actions of my peers, I guess I have begun to question how feasible this expectation among students becomes.

I, as a student and as the Senator who wrote the resolution to support the ban, have lost some faith in the ban itself.

Was it just a push for publicity (DU becoming the first tobacco free campus in CO)? Was it truly and whole heartedly in the interests of the students? Today, I am not really sure. If DU is concerned primarily about the health of its students than the lack of enforcement is unacceptable. While the responsibility of the student to hold their peers accountable is important, I hold the responsibility of school officials to enforce the ban to a higher level.

I believe that if campus safety does not do more to enforce the policy, the ban will be “up in smoke.”