Campus Policy Number: 850-65
Policy Topic: Smoking/Tobacco Use and Sale on Campus
Policy Owner: Associate Vice Chancellor-Physical Plant, Transportation, & EH&S
Effective Date: 09/23/2010
Revision Date: 09/16/2011
A. Introduction and Overview
One of the primary goals of the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is to promote a safe and healthy atmosphere for students, faculty, staff, and visitors on the campus. The intent of this policy is to protect the rights of all individuals on the UCR campus to breathe smoke-free air through the controlled sale and use of tobacco products.
This policy applies to all individuals on the UCR campus. The UCR campus, for the purposes of this policy, includes all nonresidential UCR owned, leased, or managed buildings and UCR vehicles. This policy provides for officially designated outdoor areas for the use of tobacco products on the UCR campus. This policy bans the sale of all tobacco products on the UCR campus.
B. Background and Related References
The Surgeon General of the United States has determined that cigarette smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of illness and premature death in the United States. Moreover, research indicates that non-smokers who are regularly exposed to passive or second-hand tobacco smoke are also at increased risk of illness. Passive tobacco smoke appears to be especially hazardous to the health of persons with allergies, asthma, and respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
On January 1, 1994, California law banned smoking inside state-owned or state-occupied buildings. On January 1, 2004, state law extended the no-smoking zone to 20 feet away from the perimeter of buildings. In order for UCR to achieve LEED Green Building Certification, smoking areas must be greater than 25 feet from a building’s entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows.
In 2006, The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Communications reported that one-third of all adolescent smoking can be attributed to tobacco advertising and promotions and that tobacco advertising may be a greater contributing factor to adolescent smoking than having family members and peers who smoke.
C. Definitions
Tobacco use: Inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying or holding any lighted tobacco product, including all types of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff, and all other tobacco products, and other legal smoking preparations, including but not limited to hookahs, electronic cigarettes, and clove cigarettes.
D. Policy
State law and UC Policy restrict tobacco use in UC buildings and on UC outdoor property to protect the health and comfort of students, employees, and visitors. Where the needs of smokers and non-smokers conflict the right to a smoke-free environment shall prevail.
Tobacco use is prohibited inside all UC owned, leased, or managed non-residential buildings and upon all outdoor UC property, except at the ten campus designated smoking locations. Tobacco use is restricted on the pathways and sidewalks leading to the designated areas on UCR property.
The sale of all tobacco products on the UCR campus through either vending machines or campus establishments is prohibited. Tobacco advertising and the promotion of tobacco products are also prohibited on the UCR campus, including inside all UC-owned, leased, or managed buildings and vehicles.
Designated areas for tobacco use on the UCR campus are located outdoors more than 25 feet away from a building’s entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows and more than 25 feet away from any dining or gathering area that is described, below:
· Outdoor entries or service lines such as those for ATMs, ticket purchases, event admissions, or bus or shuttle stops;
· Outdoor dining areas;
· Outdoor areas or events where there is fixed or temporary seating involving a UCR-sponsored activity; and
· Along all pathways, including sidewalks, bike paths, and bike lanes.
Tobacco use is prohibited inside all UC-owned, leased, or managed vehicles.
Where Tobacco Use Is Allowed Within or Upon UCR Property:
· Tobacco use is permitted on UCR property only at outdoor officially designated areas, within personal motor vehicles, and, per section 1.22 of the applicable UCR Resident Handbook.
· UCR clearly marks and posts signage of all designated areas that provide individuals the opportunity to use tobacco products.
· Tobacco-Related Disease Research (The Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program of UC focuses on the prevention, causes and treatment of tobacco-related disease and the reduction of the human and economic costs of tobacco use in California. The program funds research addressing all aspects of tobacco use and supports new scientific infrastructures and networks critical for a comprehensive approach to tobacco control.)
E. Procedures (Roles and Responsibilities)
1. Campus Community
This policy relies on the consideration and cooperation of all individuals on the UCR campus. Every member of the UCR community has the responsibility to observe and adhere to the tobacco use policy, including asking individuals who are using a tobacco product in other than a designated area to cease the use by either extinguishing the smoking material or by ceasing the use of the tobacco product.
Each vice chancellor, dean, and department head is responsible for ensuring that students, faculty, staff, and visitors within their area are informed of this policy. Students refusing to extinguish smoking materials or to refrain from the use of any tobacco product outside a designated area will be referred to Student Judicial Affairs. Faculty and staff refusing to extinguish smoking materials or to refrain from the use of any tobacco product outside a designated area are accountable to their supervisor, department head, and/or dean or vice chancellor. Violations of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with appropriate personnel policies or union contracts. Any non-affiliated person choosing to violate this policy may be asked to leave the campus and not permitted to return. Additionally, any individual who violates the provisions of this policy may be cited.
2. Associate Vice Chancellor, Physical Plant, Transportation, & EH&S
· Considers requests for designated outdoor smoking areas;
· Provides signage to indicate an officially designated outdoor smoking area;
· Completes and signs The LEED 2009 Green Building Rating System IEQ Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control form; and
· Provides guidance and assistance to vice chancellors, deans, and department heads on matters pertaining to this policy.
3. Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
· Administers the student judicial process for students who do not comply with this policy.
4. Vice Chancellors, Deans, and Department Heads
· Ensure that the policy is prominently posted in appropriate public areas across campus, and in handbooks and catalogs;
· Promulgate the policy to all employees and students within their respective areas;
· Include the policy in appropriate orientation programs (e.g., new employee orientation, student orientation, etc.); and
· Request designated smoking areas that comply with the conditions described to the Associate Vice Chancellor, Physical Plant, Transportation and EH&S.
F. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there resources available to assist in quitting the use of tobacco?
Information and programs to quit smoking are available at the Campus Health Center, from your personal health care provider, or from the UCR Employee Assistance Program. A number of resources about tobacco cessation are available at UCR Tobacco Cessation.
2. Is there a map showing the locations of the designated smoking and tobacco use areas on the UCR
campus?
A map showing the ten locations of the designated smoking and tobacco use areas is available by contacting UCRpolicy@ucr.edu.
G. References and Resources
· Surgeon General of the United States: www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco
· California Penal Code, Section 626.6
· California Government Code, Sections 7596-7598
· California Government Code, Section 19994.30-19994.35
· University of California, Office of the President: Memorandum to Chancellors, Laboratory Directors, And Senior President-Business And Finance, dated December 3, 2003
· LEED Schools 2009: Schools 2009 IEQp2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
· Assembly Bill 846 Fact Sheet
· Stop Smoking For Good – Resources To Help You Quit
H. Feedback
For comments or questions regarding this policy, please contact either the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor, Physical Plant, Transportation, & EH&S, at (951) 827-3974 or via email at UCRpolicy@ucr.edu.