MADISON, Wis. -- Starting on Thursday, smokers at the University of Wisconsin's Memorial Union will have fewer places to light up. Union officials said that there will be more non-smoking areas on the terrace

Officials said that there is already a limited smoking policy in place; the new changes are just an expansion of that policy, WISC-TV reported.

"The building has been smoke-free since the early 1990s," said Wisconsin Union assistant director Paul Broadhead. "I think there were a lot of requests by patrons and members of the union that we take a look at the terrace."

The council compromised and banned smoking on the upper terrace and concessions, but will continue to allow it on the lower terrace, near the stage.

"If it is a small event, you wouldn't have enough people to fill the lower area," said Broadhead. "So they thought they would put the smoking area down closer to the stage to accommodate smaller events."

"I feel like outside is a place where you should be able to smoke," said Christina Gigstead, a UW-Madison student and smoker. "I know people come here so they can drink and smoke. It's one of the attractions of this place."

"I don't know how you are going to control that," said non-smoker Jim Sielaff. "How are you going to control an area where wind is going to bring the smoke to a non-smoking area? In a restaurant, you can do something like that, but out here in the open air I don't see what the problem is."

The theatre plaza, just outside the Union Theatre on the terrace, has been smoke-free since 1993, WISC-TV reported.

"I like it because I'm not a smoker and I hate being around smoke," said student Abby Rogers. "That's usually why I don't hang out in public areas where there is smoking."

"When I would study here I would come because it was smoke free," said non-smoker Jeff Sartin.

Broadhead said that he doesn't anticipate problems with the new policy.

There will be signs posted and staff to remind patrons that they can't smoke.