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Starting in mid-August, smoking and the use of tobacco products of any kind will be prohibited on all University of Arizona property, inside and outdoors.
Products include cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes.
Allison Vaillancourt, UA vice president of human resources, said more than 1,300 universities across the country have already gone tobacco-free.
“One of the goals of this policy is to help us create a healthier community," she said. "And to help the members of our community become healthier. And that includes our students. And we know that many students come to college – they were not smokers and they pick up the habit when the come to school. And we’re hoping this policy will prevent that from happening.”
The university has been considering a ban for several years, and drafted the smoking and tobacco policy earlier this spring.
Members of the public have until July 27 to provide feedback on the draft policy.
Vaillancourt said enforcement was a key topic of conversation.
“It is not our goal to issue citations," she said. "We want to say this is our community standard and you’re part of our community and we know that you will follow the standards that we’ve established.”
Arizona State University implemented a similar policy last year, and Vaillancourt said some enforcement issues have been reported.
To read the policy and submit feedback click here.
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