Get Ready for a Smoke and Tobacco-Free UC
May 15, 2013
As you may know, University of California President Mark Yudof has directed all UC campuses to become smoke and tobacco free by January 2014. The purpose of this new initiative is to improve the health and safety of the campus community.
The proposed policy will apply to all students, staff, faculty, visitors, contractors and vendors and prohibits the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snuff, snus, water pipes, pipes, hookahs, chew, and any other non-combustible tobacco product in or on all university-owned or leased properties.
UC Merced's Smoke and Tobacco Free Steering Committee was formed to assist in the policy's development and implementation. The committee is drafting a campus-specific policy that will be circulated for comment in fall 2013.
The committee is also developing plans to address communication, compliance, signage and cessation resources and a website is in the works. More information regarding this policy change will be available in the coming weeks so stay tuned. Meanwhile, questions or concerns about this policy change may be sent to the Smoke and Tobacco Free Steering Committee at smokefree@ucmerced.edu.
