Starting May 31, 2015 in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day, every Pacific University Campus will be tobacco-free. This means no tobacco product of any kind will be allowed anywhere on the Forest Grove campus.
More specially, “smoking and tobacco use applies to all tobacco projects, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chewing tobacco, and nicotine delivery devices such as e-cigarettes, and any smoked, smoldering, or vapored substance,” according to the Pacific University Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus Policy. The presence of any of these will result in disciplinary action against the offender.
The policy’s statement says the purpose and intent is to create an environment that is “consistent with Pacific University’s commitment to improve the health and wellness of its community by creating a smoke and tobacco-free campus.”
Where an individual can smoke, currently being ten feet from any campus building doors changes dramatically under the new policy. The use of these tobacco products is prohibited on “all Pacific University grounds, outdoor areas, vehicles, parking lots, and inside any personal vehicles parked on the property.”
That being said, the very presence, but also sale or distribution of said products will not be permitted on Pacific’s owned and controlled property.
The policy applies not only to students, but also to staff, faculty, employees, visitors patients and others. This includes attendees and organizers of any public event held on Pacific University’s campuses including meetings, lectures, social events, sporting events and others.
The policy makes clear that any person who violates the policy could be referred to the Peer Review Board for their behavior.
“Enforcement is a shared responsibility with the entire University community,” reads the policy. “The expectation is that persons will voluntarily comply with the policy.
It is the responsibility of everyone on campus to politely inform others of the policy and ask that they cease using tobacco products on campus.”
The policy said that enforcement will start with business reminder cards that will be available to distribute to those using tobacco on campus. At the Forest Grove campus, these “Tobacco-Free Campus Cards” will be available in the Human Resource Office.
If individuals do not abide to the new policy repeatedly, the university will take action.
“Any person who repeatedly violates this policy may be asked to leave university premises and/or may be removed from university premises, and may be subject to disciplinary action and other sanctions available to Pacific University to enforce this policy,” according to the policy.
Campus Public Safety, Student Life and Human Resources will respond to specific incidents of non-compliance or reoccurring offenses, according to the policy.
“We recognize that not everyone will feel comfortable approaching users, but we encourage all faculty, staff, and students to assist with compliance and communication,” according to the policy.
The policy will be communicated through various ways before installation. This includes campus newsletters, student welcome packets, e-mails, a website dedicated to the policy and resources, signs stating the tobacco free campus shall be “conspicuously posted around campus on all Pacific properties,” a fresh air challenge, local newspaper articles and policy information cards.
There will be no designated smoking areas as the policy says the university’s goal is to create a healthy environment and work to “eliminate ‘triggers,’ like smoking areas, that make cessation difficult.”
When the issue was first brought up in a student senate public forum earlier this year, the idea that most people who smoke will then be off campus, surrounding the campus and draw attention from those passing by, giving a bad name to Pacific because smokers are more visible.
Pacific says they hope to maintain a positive relationship with the neighbors that border campus after this policy is put in place.
“We encourage you to respect other’s property by not littering and not congregating in areas to smoke and thus creating a cloud that others must walk through,” reads the policy. “We will be reaching out to our neighbors and informing them of the upcoming policy and encouraging open communication if a problem arises.”
Forest Grove’s campus and also the Hillsboro, Portland, Woodburn and Eugene campuses will be following this policy in full. Every university publication such as handbooks and procedure manuals will be updated with this policy as of May 31, 2015.
“Prohibiting tobacco use on campus preserves everyone’s right to clean air and healthy lifestyles, while allowing adults who use tobacco to continue to do so off campus,” according to the policy. “We are not asking people to quit smoking, but simply stating they may not smoke on university property.”
With all these restrictions in place, it is made certain that those attempting to quit their tobacco habits with nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches or gum, are permitted under the policy.
The Student Health Center provides tobacco cessation counseling and prescriptions for students as needed. The Student Health Center can be reached at 503-352-2269.
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