Increased smoking restrictions
Smoking at the UT has been further restricted. A week ago, the university council approved stricter regulations, which also ban smoking in a private office. The new regulations were put into effect retroactively per January 1.
The new restrictions are the result of increasing pressure by the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA). Inspectors of the VWA, overseeing the university's compliance with the Tobacco Law, caught a violation and fined the university 300 euros.
According to the VWA, employees are not allowed to smoke in their own office, even if that office is not shared with others. The UT's policy since the new Tobacco Law was that employees who have their own office are allowed to smoke, as long as they do not hinder their colleagues. The VWA assumes that in reality a door might be left open or visitors might be hindered by the solitary smoker.
For the UT there was no other option but to either change its policy or fight the WVA's interpretation of the law in court. A week ago, the executive board and the university council took the easy way out: as of January 1, smoking is prohibited in all UT buildings, except the Blomzaal of the Faculty Club, the Vestingbar, part of restaurant `de Stek' and in the covered outdoor café of the Vrijhof Theatercafé.
The council was able to force the executive board to look into creating additional smoking areas in the UT buildings before summer break.
Trans. Jeroen Latour |
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