After several years of student advocacy and campus discussion, Northern Arizona University will become a smoke- and tobacco-free campus beginning July 1, 2016.
“This initiative reflects NAU’s strong commitment to wellness and public health, driving principles in what we do each day to create a healthy environment for our students and staff,” said NAU President Rita Cheng. “Our current policies prohibit smoking inside university buildings and vehicles. However, they do not address the health risks associated with secondhand smoke, or the environmental issues caused by tobacco products.”
An implementation committee composed of campus representatives is leading the initiative, and working to ensure an effective implementation over the next academic year. The Student Health Advocacy Committee led discussion and advocacy efforts for a tobacco-free policy over the last four years.
The committee created nau.edu/tobacco-free to offer resources including cessation programs, address the most commonly asked questions about tobacco-free policies and outline implementation.
“I’d like to thank the campus community for their support as we join the ranks of more than 1,400 higher education institutions that have already gone smoke and tobacco-free,” Cheng said.
The policy is available at nau.edu/tobacco-free/policy. To share questions and feedback, contact tobacco-free@nau.edu.