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Almost all Universities banned smoking in their campus. Recently the University of Montana decided to join to the list of Colleges public banning tobacco on campus too.

The new ban is supposing to go into effect in the fall of 2011, and would be the second campus-wide smoking ban in Montana, as Montana Tech in Butte is going tobacco-free in 2010.

Through this country, more and more colleges are prohibiting not only smoking, but also the use of all tobacco products anywhere on campus. Today there are 172 tobacco-free campuses nationwide, and another 322 smoke-free campuses.

The University of Montana (UM) and other Montana campuses now have a 25-foot smoking peripheries around building entrances. But a study by the UM Tobacco Task Force found that nearly two-thirds of smokers were violating that regulation.

Kari Harris, an associate professor of public health at UM, said: "We actually did the research because some students were complaining about smoking."

Firs of all UM President George Dennison decided to send a campus-wide e-mail for to inform faculty, staff and students of UM's intentions.

He wrote: "In view of the evidence shearing the effects of secondhand smoke and the need to support a healthy environment for students, faculty and staff, I believe the time has come for the University of Montana to take action."

Today, the policy is in the plan stage. Over the coming year, the university will collect remarks from students, faculty and staff and follow up with education, public meetings and smoking-cessation programs as the fall 2011 deadline is near.

The new policy would ban the use of all tobacco products, including snoose, chew and snuff too.

Linda Green, director of health enhancement at UM and a Tobacco Task Force member, said she hopes and wants to hear that students also accept the new legislation. She reported: "This is new territory for us. And we will see after this first part of the assessment of the total campus what people really think. We want to hear their interests."

Scientists said also that it is possible that banning cigarettes would give students the message that other uses of tobacco are safer, the message which is not true of course.