Students, staff and visitors to the Wayne State University School of Medicine will no longer be allowed to smoke on any campus grounds starting this summer.

Wayne State University officials have approved a complete no-smoking policy for the School of Medicine campus.

The smoking ban takes effect July 7, 2008. On that date, smoking will no longer be allowed anywhere on the School of Medicine campus, including areas inside and outside of Scott Hall, the Lande Building, the Elliman Building, the Mott Center, and facilities at 101 East Alexandrine, 110 East Warren Ave., 2751 East Jefferson and 2761 East Jefferson.

One of the last refuges for smokers was a designated outdoor area adjacent to Scott Hall. That area will be eliminated and off limits to smokers under the new policy.

Chuck Pokriefka, director of facilities and support services for the School of Medicine, said posters and signs indicating the campus no longer allows smoking will be posted in a number of areas, including those where smokers generally congregated. A poster counting down the days to the policy’s implementation will be located in the lobby of Scott Hall. Employees were notified via email and a notice accompanying paychecks. Students were notified of the policy through email and a posting on the school’s website.

The no-smoking policy was recently approved by the Wayne State University Provost and the university’s general counsel, said Dr. Kertia Black, assistant dean for Student Affairs and chairwoman of the Smoking Ban Committee of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Black said the policy was developed in response to a petition drive conducted last year by the School of Medicine Student Senate to ban smoking on the entire School of Medicine campus.

Joseph Burkett, Student Senate executive president and a proponent of the petition drive, said 1,300 signatures supporting a complete smoking ban were collected.

As medical students, “we learn about the ill effects of smoking every day,” said Burkett, 25, of Dearborn. “It was an inconvenience before, but once the Detroit Medical Center became a non-smoking campus, there were just too many smokers in front of the entrance of the medical school, around the library and at our picnic tables to allow it to continue.”

To enforce the no-smoking policy, a cadet will patrol the campus grounds. The cadet will remind any potential breakers of the policy that they are in a no-smoking area.