Claflin To Become Smoke-free Campus

Claflin University will enact a no-smoking cigarettes policy on campus beginning Saturday.

The policy is applicable to all students, employees, volunteers and visitors, the university announced Thursday.

"This policy will positively impact the health of all people affiliated with Claflin University," said Dr. Leroy Durant, vice president for student development and services. "Smoking is the root cause of many health problems and we expect this policy to promote a smoke-free lifestyle on our campus and beyond."

The new policy defines smoking cigarettes as the burning of tobacco products including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and pipes. Beginning Sept. 16, any person found in violation of the policy will be issued a $25 fine.

As with most colleges and universities, Claflin previously had a policy discouraging smoking cigarettes and banning it inside buildings.

According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, Claflin will join some other South Carolina institutions with the smoking cigarettes ban: Aiken Technical College, Francis Marion University, Lander University, USC Upstate, the Piedmont Technical College System and York Technical College.