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• Towson University to ban all smoking starting in August  

Towson University will be a smoke-free campus, it announced Wednesday, becoming Maryland's first four-year college to ban an activity once as commonplace as lounging on the quad.

The reason for the policy, which goes into effect in August, is simple, administrators said: They want to reduce health risks from smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

"I don't try to guide people in how they live their lives, but I am going to protect the campus so it's clean and pleasant for as many people as possible," said Towson President Robert L. Caret.

Smoking is already banned in campus buildings at Towson, but under the new rules, it will be off-limits on the grounds: on sidewalks, in garages and parking lots, and even outside the bar at Bill Bateman's Bistro.

Towson joins a rapidly growing list of U.S. colleges

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