LSU Shreveport Going Tobacco Free In August – Should LSU Baton Rouge Follow?

It's one way in which students at LSU Shreveport consider themselves one step ahead of their counterparts in Baton Rouge: The Youree Drive campus will be going tobacco free as of August 1st of this year. And that's a step that the big boys in BR are still considering.

From LSUS' Almagest:

The LSUS Simple Tobacco Policy will be implemented Aug. 1, 2014. It will prohibit the use nicotine products anywhere on campus including smoking, oral tobacco, and vapor emitting cigarette substitute. The policy applies to faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors.

Meanwhile, on the main campus in Baton Rouge the tobacco free topic is still under hot debate, with the latest smoking trends, e-cigs and vaping, now part of the discussion. From the BR Advocate:

The LSU smoke-free campus committee voted unanimously to recommend smoking electronic cigarettes — known as “vaping” — be banned from campus as part of any official smoke-free initiative.

The question has arisen as to whether a college campus - or any private or public institution - is overstepping its authority when it bans tobacco use out of doors, even on its property. LSU Shreveport has taken the step and Baton Rouge seems to be on the way. The question is, will legal action by students - or perhaps faculty - be far behind?