Staff writer
At last week’s Peabody-Burns Board of Education meeting, members discussed policy for smoking on school grounds and at the football stadium.
The conversation stemmed from a couple complaints of people smoking in the stands during football games.
“I’ve sat near people who lighted up in the stands and it’s annoying,” said Tim Robertson, junior/senior high school principal.
Peabody interim city administrator Mac Manning said the city has had no complaints about people smoking at the stadium.
Because the stadium is owned by the city, the school cannot create a policy to ban smoking in the stadium. Superintendent Ron Traxson said most people go behind the wall west of the stadium to smoke, and only a few smoke in the stands.
“It’s not a huge problem,” he said, “but we get a few from time to time. Secondhand smoke even though its outside is still secondhand smoke.”
To counteract this problem, the board decided the best solution was to announce before any school function held at the stadium that anyone wishing to smoke should take it out of the stands.
“Our first home game since then is this week,” Traxson said. “We’re going to have the announcer make a short announcement a couple of times throughout the game.”
Unlike most area schools, Peabody-Burns does not have a smoking ban on school grounds.
“If you’re at a basketball game and you want to step outside to smoke, we don’t have a problem with that,” Traxson said. “As long as it’s away from those who don’t want to be exposed.”