UTEP becomes completely tobacco-free campus

The University of Texas at El Paso announced Friday that it will be applying a tobacco-free policy on campus.

This implementation prohibits anyone on campus from using any tobacco products inside and outside the university’s buildings.

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Robert Moss, UTEP’s assistant vice president for environmental health and safety, said”This is something that has been in the works for a couple of years now.” Moss added, “It’s intended to free up the campus for non-smokers and to spread wellness among our community.”

UTEP said it plans to implement the change using education, awareness, and cooperation.

April Garcia, a student ABC-7 spoke with on campus, says she “thinks it’s helpful.” She mentioned even with signs that ask students to smoke a certain distance away from the buildings and the designated smoking areas have not been effective.

The university acknowledges that this policy change might not be easy for all, however. The UTEP Student Health Center, the UTEP Wellness Program and the Prevention and Treatment in Clinical Health or PATCH, lab will offer “tobacco cessation resources” around the campus.

More information on what defines a tobacco product is available at tobaccofree.utep.edu.

According to americans for smokers rights, as of Jan. 2, 2014, at least 1,182 college or university campuses in the U.S. have adopted 100 percent smoke-free campus policies. This is up from 446 campuses in Oct. 2010.

The university’s statement is below.

The University of Texas at El Paso is pleased to announce that it is now a tobacco-free campus. Approved by The University of Texas System, the tobacco-free campus policy is now published as part of the UTEP Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOOP). The new policy prohibits use of any tobacco products in University buildings as well as on all property and grounds owned or controlled by the University, including parking areas, sidewalks, walkways, parking structures, event venues and all other University owned or leased properties.

UTEP intends to implement this policy through education, awareness, and a spirit of cooperation and respect for one another and our University. Much can be accomplished through respectful and polite reminders to members and guests of the University that we are a tobacco-free campus. Acknowledging that this policy may represent a significant and in some cases personally challenging adjustment for tobacco users, we offer the UTEP Student Health Center, the UTEP Wellness Program and the Prevention and Treatment in Clinical Health (PATCH) lab as tobacco cessation resources on the campus.

Adoption of this policy establishing UTEP as a tobacco-free campus is another step toward creating a more healthful environment for those who work, study and visit our beautiful campus, and we hope that we can count on the cooperation of all members of the UTEP community as it is implemented.

Source: UTEP

Please visit the Tobacco-Free UTEP website at tobaccofree.utep.edu for more information about the policy and tobacco cessation resources available. The full text of the policy, including the definition of tobacco products, may also be found on the Tobacco-Free UTEP website.