Revised March 2010
ABC University Smokefree Policy
ABC University is committed to providing a healthy, comfortable, and productive environment for the students, faculty, and staff of this campus.
The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's Report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, has concluded that (1) secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke; (2) children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks, and that smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children; (3) exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer; (4) there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke; (5) establishing smokefree workplaces is the only effective way to ensure that secondhand smoke exposure does not occur in the workplace, because ventilation and other air cleaning technologies cannot completely control for exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke; and (6) evidence from peer-reviewed studies shows that smokefree policies and laws do not have an adverse economic impact on the hospitality industry. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006.)
Numerous studies have found that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and that breathing secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) is a cause of disease in healthy nonsmokers, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute determined in 1999 (Monograph #10) that secondhand smoke is responsible for the early deaths of approximately 53,000 Americans annually.
Based on a finding by the California Environmental Protection Agency in 2005, the California Air Resources Board has determined that secondhand smoke is a toxic air contaminant, finding that exposure to secondhand smoke has serious health effects, including low birth-weight babies; sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); increased respiratory infections in children; asthma in children and adults; lung cancer, sinus cancer, and breast cancer in younger, premenopausal women; heart disease; and death.
According to the World Health Organization, scientific evidence has firmly established that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, a pollutant that causes serious illness in adults and children, and that implementing 100% smoke-free environments is the only effective way to protect the population from the harmful effects of exposure to secondhand smoke.
The Americans With Disabilities Act, which requires that disabled persons have access to public places and workplaces, deems impaired respiratory function to be a disability.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the risk of acute myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease associated with exposure to tobacco smoke is non-linear at low doses, increasing rapidly with relatively small doses such as those received from secondhand smoke or actively smoking one or two cigarettes a day, and has warned that all patients at increased risk of coronary heart disease or with known coronary artery disease should avoid all indoor environments that permit smoking.
Unregulated high-tech smoking devices, commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," closely resemble and purposefully mimic the act of smoking by having users inhale vaporized liquid nicotine created by heat through an electronic ignition system. After testing a number of e-cigarettes from two leading manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that various samples tested contained not only nicotine but also detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals, including tobacco-specific nitrosamines and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze. The FDA's testing also suggested that "quality control processes used to manufacture these products are inconsistent or non-existent." ([n.a.], "Summary of results: laboratory analysis of electronic cigarettes conducted by FDA," Food and Drug Administration (FDA), July 22, 2009; http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm173146.htm Accessed on: October 22, 2009) E-cigarettes produce a vapor of undetermined and potentially harmful substances, which may appear similar to the smoke emitted by traditional tobacco products. Their use in workplaces and public places where smoking of traditional tobacco products is prohibited creates concern and confusion and leads to difficulties in enforcing the smoking prohibitions.
In light of these findings, ABC University shall be entirely smokefree effective____
[date].
The Smokefree Policy applies to all ABC University facilities and vehicles, owned or leased, regardless of location. Smoking, including the use of an e-cigarette, shall not be permitted in any enclosed place, including private residential space within university housing. Smoking shall only occur at a reasonable distance of _____ [recommended 15-20] feet outside entrances, operable windows, and ventilation systems of enclosed areas where smoking is prohibited, so as to insure that tobacco smoke does not enter those areas. Smoking shall also not be permitted in, and within _______ [recommended 15-20] feet of, outdoor seating or serving areas of University eating facilities; in outdoor arenas, stadiums, and amphitheaters; or in, and within _______ [recommended 15-20] feet of, bleachers and grandstands used for spectators at sporting and other public events. This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Copies of this policy shall be distributed to all faculty and staff and shall be included with information given to all admitted students. Announcements shall also be printed in campus newspapers to insure that everyone understands the policy. No Smoking signs shall be posted at all building entrances. No ashtrays shall be provided at any location on campus. Cigarettes shall not be sold on university grounds, either in vending machines, the student union, or any area on campus.
This policy is being announced three months prior to its implementation in order to give smokers time to adapt to its restrictions and to facilitate a smooth transition to a smokefree environment. On-site smoking cessation programs shall be made available to assist and encourage individuals who wish to quit smoking. Questions and problems regarding this policy should be handled through existing departmental administrative channels and administrative procedures.
The success of this policy will depend on the thoughtfulness, consideration, and cooperation of smokers and nonsmokers. All students, faculty, and staff share in the responsibility for adhering to and enforcing this policy.
In further recognition of the incompatibility of ABC University's educational mission and the promotion of tobacco products, effective____ [date]:
No tobacco-related advertising or sponsorship shall be permitted on university
property, at university-sponsored events, or in publications produced by the
university, with the exception of advertising in a newspaper or magazine that
is not produced by the university and which is lawfully sold, bought, or distributed
on university property. For the purposes of this policy, "tobacco related"
applies to the use of a tobacco brand or corporate name, trademark, logo, symbol,
or motto, selling message, recognizable pattern or colors, or any other indicia
of product identical to or similar to, or identifiable with, those used for
any brand of tobacco products or company which manufactures tobacco products.
_______________________________________ Date: __________________
Signature of Chief Administrator