As students returned to Mississippi State University and headed to class, on just about every door into any building they were greeted with a sign stating smoking has been banned on MSU’s campus in an effort to “clear the air.”
    The ban, which was passed by the MSU Student Association in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs and the Health and Wellness Education branch of the student health center last spring, deemed MSU a smoke-free campus. 
    The ban went into effect this semester, and according to SA President Roxanne Raven, it has so far been successful. 
    “Overall the majority of the feedback has been positive,” Raven said. “I have only seen a few instances of negative feedback, some comments on social media.”
   Raven said the purpose of the policy was to create a “healthier cultural mindset” at MSU. 
      JuLeigh Baker, a health and wellness educator for university health services, said a lot of the Health Center’s involvement focuses on providing support programs for those who wish to quit smoking.
    “Our office was asked to promote awareness of the ban and to provide the Tobacco Cessation program,” Baker said. 
     Since the ban, some members of MSU’s staff have already decided to quit, Raven said. 
    “I’m excited about it. Everyone was ready and waiting for it,” Raven said.
     The biggest hurdle with the smoke-free policy, Raven said, will be enforcing the ban during MSU sporting events. Enforcement will fall onto the shoulders of the athletic department. Raven said if an Events Operations Group official or an officer sees someone smoking they will first ask them to put out the cigarette, and repeat offenses might end in the offender being escorted out of the stadium or event. 
“I highly doubt it will come to that, though,” Raven said. 
    The smoking ban was just one aspect of SA’s intention to make MSU and its people as healthy as possible. Jazmine Kelley, the Director of Health and Wellness Committee within SA’s cabinet, said improving nutrition on MSU’s campus comprises their current business. 
    Kelley said they are working with MSU Dining Services to increase the number and variety of vegetarian and vegan food options across all of MSU’s cafeterias, with future hopes of seeing more of these options made available in the Colvard Student Union. 
  She said the options available in cafeterias right now are ‘very limited and very lacking.’
   “All you’ll find is a salad bar and a veggie burger and that’s about it,” Kelley said. “I know several vegetarians that don’t use their meal plans and avoid going into cafeterias because there are really no options for them. They have to go off campus to find them.”
     Kelley said the committee plans on spending this year working with Dining Services to write and pass the new policies, and she said currently the goal is to have these new options open to students at the start of the next school year.
 “Students deserve these options so whatever we can do to provide them that’s what we are going to do,” Kelley said. 
  Raven said she and the rest of SA are very thankful to the larger MSU body.
   “I’m glad that we have the support of MSU administrators, faculty and staff when conceiving and implementing the smoke-free campus.”