Public colleges and universities in Louisiana are now required to create smoke-free policies.

Act 211 requires all public post-secondary education institutions to implement smoke-free policies. The act was passed by state legislature and signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal in March of last year and became effective Aug. 1.

Supporters of smoke-free campuses said they feel the bans make a safer environment for everyone involved in the school.

“We have to do everything we can do to make a tobacco-free environment in order to create a healthy environment for children, adults and college students,” Caroline Brazeel, director of health promotions for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, said.

Legislators said that there was not much opposition when the bill was presented.

“Mostly everybody was behind it,” Austin Badon, state representative for District 100, said. “I don’t think anybody had a real big problem with it. I think the biggest concern was enforcement — how was it going to be enforced? How, and who, was going to enforce it? What are going to be the penalties?”

Schools are allowed to make their own policies regarding enforcement; policies vary by institution.

At the University of New Orleans, first time offenders receive a warning, while repeat offenders receive a fine.

Susan Bareis, health promotion coordinator at Louisiana State University, said that the university wants to ensure that people are aware of the new policies before strictly enforcing them.

“The approach we’re taking right away with it being a new policy is an educational approach,” Bareis said.

In addition to increasing awareness about the new policies, LSU also has programs available to aid individuals who would like to quit smoking. LSU offers group cessation classes during the semester and has a pharmacy that offers nicotine replacement therapy.

“We are always promoting our services here, and specifically with this new policy we are always advertising that these group cessation classes are going on this school year,” Bareis said.

Coordinators at UNO have been trying to get the word out about the new policy via various methods.

“During the spring semester we had hundreds of signs up on campus that said ‘Tobacco free coming in August,’” said Adam Norris, director of public relations at UNO. “We’ve been trying to spread the word as many ways as possible, through emails, social media and news media.”

Officials say that the overall policy is positive for the campus as a whole.

“We think this is going to make UNO a healthier place to be,” Norris said. “Whether you’re coming to school everyday, or you’re just coming to visit campus for a lecture or a jazz concert at our performance hall, it’s going to make it a healthier environment and a more comfortable place to be.”