Smoke/Tobacco Free: What is the difference?
Learn more about what it means to be smoke free and tobacco free.
Tobacco Free Ohio State
During autumn semester 2012, the university began a conversation about becoming a healthier university through a proposal to become tobacco free after the idea was raised by many groups in the university community. The Wexner Medical Center and surrounding health science campuses have been tobacco free since 2006, and the buildings on our campuses have been smoke free since 1987. The goal is to have a Tobacco Free Ohio State policy in place by August 1, 2013.
This conversation included meeting with 26 groups representing faculty, staff, students, and adjacent neighborhoods, and receiving feedback through e-mail and community forums. The majority of the feedback supported a tobacco free campus and helped shape our current proposal.
The next steps in this process include:
- Appoint a broadly represented committee to develop an implementation plan.
- Make the proposal available for comment beginning Friday, March 8.
- Submit a resolution to the Board of Trustees in April to request authority to revise the university’s current smoke free policy.
Many factors align to support the university moving forward with this proposal at this time:
- Students have been working with Student life, advocating for Ohio State to go Tobacco Free. Faculty, staff, and leaders from various colleges, units, and regional campuses have asked to go tobacco free since the Medical Center did so in 2006.
- On July 23, 2012, the Ohio Board of Regents passed a resolution recommending that all University System of Ohio schools go tobacco free.
- On September 12, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a national initiative to eliminate tobacco use on college campuses.
- The State of Ohio Healthy Ohio Program and the Ohio State Board of Education support tobacco free colleges and universities and are advocating for all campuses go tobacco free.
- Ohio State was recently awarded the Bronze Level Health Lead Accreditation award by the US Healthiest Workplace Accreditation Program.
- Workplace smoking bans reduce the prevalence of smoking and daily cigarette consumption.
- Smokefree policies and norms are effective in reducing the initiation, prevalence, and intensity of smoking among young adults.
The health of the university community is at the heart of this initiative. Our intention is to become the healthiest campus in the nation, and this is a vital step forward in that direction. You are encouraged to visit this site often to stay informed, learn more about why we want to become Tobacco Free Ohio State, and engage in the process.
If you have comments or questions, send an e-mail to TobaccoFree@hr.osu.edu.
