The University of Idaho is now a tobacco-free campus.
The new tobacco policy went into effect in July and prohibits the use of all forms of tobacco on the main campus and on any university-owned properties, grounds and vehicles.
Associate Dean of Students Hassel Morrison said he thinks the policy is a good thing for campus health.
“The goal is to make sure to protect people from involuntary exposure, passive smoke,” Morrison said. “The other thing is to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle as a socio and health norm.”
Vandal Health Education Coordinator Emily Tuschhoff has been heavily involved in the policy’s development over the past four years.
“As a health office, our role is to look out for and promote the health of our university students with the ultimate goal of what is going to be best for our students academically,” Tuschhoff said. “I mean, we know that health is hugely correlated with academic success.”
The idea began with a group of students who wanted UI to be a tobacco-free campus. They drafted a plan and sent it to Faculty Senate, where the idea was moved up UI President Chuck Staben. Tuschhoff said she talked with many groups and individuals during development of the final plan.
“This was a discussion among a lot of community stakeholders, so just know that it wasn’t an all-of-a-sudden decision,” Tuschhoff said. “There were a lot of voices and opinions heard.”
She said the vast majority of people they talked to were in favor of the policy. She said most tobacco users she talked with said the policy would help them in their attempts to quit. She said more than 70 percent of tobacco users want to quit.
“The number of tobacco users who have come up to me and thanked me far outweighs those who didn’t like the change,” Tuschhoff said. “Hearing from them, that really keeps us going.”
Tuschhoff said some people were concerned how the policy would impact tobacco users who don’t want to quit. She said she wants to support those people and hear their feedback, which can be given at uidaho.edu/tobacco-free.
The decision to go with a completely tobacco-free campus policy, rather than an alternative such as designated smoking areas was based on a couple factors.
Tuschhoff said that of all possible plans, a full tobacco-free policy is the best way to support people who are trying to quit and the best option to prevent students from ever beginning to use tobacco. She said most tobacco users start by the age of 25, so college is a critical time to intervene. There are even financial savings due to less need for tobacco trash and litter cleanup.
There are a few exemptions to the policy such as for research, religious use and in enclosed personal vehicles. Greek houses that own their own land will set their own policy, and all other Greek houses will police themselves for tobacco use.
Enforcement of the policy will be done through the community. Vice President for Infrastructure Dan Ewart said that if a person sees someone using tobacco, they should inform the user of the policy and leave it at that. He said persistent violators can be dealt with through other mechanisms.
Morrison said any flagrant or persistent violators will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Morrison said he worked at campuses that transitioned to being tobacco-free, such as North Carolina State University.
“In the south, that’s like tobacco country,” Morrison said.
The transition was uneventful though, Morrison said. People simply adjusted to it and he said it wasn’t even an issue.
Tuschhoff said UI has many resources to help with tobacco cessation. She said there is a four-week group course that helps people identify their individual goals, why they want to quit and how to overcome craving triggers. The state of Idaho offers eight weeks of nicotine-replacement therapy for residents. She said out-of-state and international students can simply use their Moscow address and have access to it as well. Online there are more cessation resources in addition to information about the policy and an online feedback form.
She said college campuses across the U.S. began going tobacco-free in the mid-2000s and there are nearly 1,500 tobacco-free campuses in the U.S. today. She said there has been data collected at these institutions and there is no negative impact on enrollment. Both Morrison and Ewart said they did not expect any negative impact on enrollment or retention.
“I don’t think students are coming to college based on whether they can smoke,” Morrison said. “There are places already that exist that don’t allow smoking on their property. It doesn’t prevent them from shopping there or for visiting there.”
Ewart said they haven’t received much feedback since the policy’s implementation, but expects to get more as the semester goes on. He said it takes a while for people to become aware of any new policy and expects it to be a good set of talking points over the next semester. He encourages people to talk about the policy and believes it will help the school.
“I think we have a wonderful community of people here at this institution,” Ewart said. “And I think people will see this as a positive and will treat it accordingly. I’m not concerned about it.”
Jack Olson
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Lawrence Moran
Except for one small thing...the policy is NOT about protecting people from involuntary exposure. If that were the actual goal, the policy would ban smoking and allow smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. This policy is about certain elements within the UI community with the arrogance to impose their version of "socio and health norm[s]" on the student and faculty community regardless of what sort of choices those community members might make for themselves. In so doing, the University demonstrates its continued commitment to freedom of choice...so long as you make the choice the self-appointed elites want you to make.