Freshmen Beth Wolfe and Jen Steinke are both thankful they aren’t living in a residence hall this semester.

As smokers, they narrowly avoided the law enacted by the Wisconsin State Assembly that is keeping students from smoking within 25 feet of residence halls on all UW System campuses.

The bill that enacted the law was introduced by Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, in March of 2003.

Wolf, a third semester freshman who previously lived in Murray Hall, finished “serving her time” on campus just before the law went into effect over the summer.

“I got out of there just in time,” she said.

The statewide law, which would seemingly fall under the jurisdiction of University Police, is instead being enforced by RAs.

University Police Interim Director David Sprick said that while the department was made aware of the new law last semester, no citations have been issued.

“We’re currently not being contacted to respond to smoking complaints outside the dorms,” he said. “We believe that it’s an issue best addressed by the residence halls.”

Oak Ridge Residence Hall Director Linda Pratt agreed.

“I know they are really busy over (at the campus police station) and have a lot of other stuff to do,” she said.

Her life would be a lot easier if University Police took it upon themselves to enforce the law, she said, but admitted it might not be realistic for them to do so.

But Pratt, who is sympathetic to smokers, especially during the winter months, still sees reason to enforce the law.

“I think it’s a necessary policy because the way our building is designed, the smoke does come back right into the residents’ rooms,” she said. “We need to protect the rights of the people in the building who don’t smoke as well.”

Stinke, however, sees a better solution to the problem that she says would not alienate smokers or non-smokers.

She would like to see a designated smokers’ wing for each building that has an area to smoke outside of each one.

Then, she said, “if they have their windows open, they’re not going to mind because they’re smokers.”

Currently, fines are not a part of the penalty for violating the law.

Sprick said UW-Madison University Police are also not enforcing the state law, which carries a monetary penalty.

Putnam Hall Director January Boten said if people violating the policy are asked to move and do comply, generally nothing more happens.

Only repeat offenders get in any more trouble than that.

Pratt said these repeat offenders must attend a meeting with their hall director and usually are given some sort of educational sanction.

After that, continued violations can lead to a hearing with the Judicial Board – made up of university students – to determine further punishment.

“J-Board made one of my students pick up a quart of cigarette butts around my building,” Boten said.

While both Pratt and Boten said the policy hasn’t been a big issue yet, they foresee greater opposition to it when the weather starts to dip below freezing and students are enticed to stay close to the door.

Wolf joked about the idea of smoking away from the buildings when the weather becomes “less than accommodating.”

“I think a lot of people will quit smoking,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s what they’re going for, but it could happen.”