UC Board of Trustees Expands Campus Tobacco and Smoking Regulations

At its Aug. 23 meeting, the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees voted to expand existing tobacco and smoking restrictions already in place on campus.

Since 2006, the University of Cincinnati East Campus has been a smoke-free environment while on the rest of campus, smoking was prohibited within 25 feet of all building entrances, exits, air intakes and operable windows as well as inside of buildings, athletics facilities and in vehicles owned, operated and leased by the university.

With the recent vote by the UC board, campus will become entirely tobacco and smoke free effective May 1, 2017.

As part of this effort to protect public health and to provide for a safe and healthy environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, tobacco cessation programs available to the campus community will be expanded as we approach next May. 

• Find out more at uc.edu/tobaccofree

The steering committee co-chairs leading the Tobacco Free UC effort are

• Liz Aumann, UC director of benefits, Human Resources
• Jeff Bauer, dean, UC Clermont College
• Joe Harrell, associate vice president, Facilities Management
• Amanda Lynch, field service assistant professor of human services, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services
  

According to Aumann, “The new policy is in line with UC’s health-related research, teaching and patient care. This gives us a particular obligation to be sensitive to health-protection issues. As such, smoking and tobacco use, including chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, cigars and hookahs will be prohibited.”

She added that as of April 2016, there are at least 1,483 campuses that are 100-percent smoke free. The effort at UC gained momentum as students and faculty raised the concern. UC’s Student Government and Faculty Senate each passed separate resolutions in 2015 in favor of a smoking ban.