Attention, all UI students, staff, faculty and visitors: Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em — at least while you can. University of Iowa President Sally Mason approved a policy Monday that will make the UI campus entirely smoke-free by July 1, 2009.

“A smoke-free campus will provide a healthier environment for employees, students, and other constituents,” Mason said in a statement. “I believe, as well, that a smoke-free environment can play an important role, along with other important support mechanisms, in helping smokers escape nicotine addiction. I expect that this action will contribute to lower health care costs and increased employee productivity across the university.”

In the meantime, if you do plan to smoke on campus, make sure you do so where smoking has not already been banned. Current UI campus policy prohibits smoking within all buildings on the UI campus, including parking ramps and enclosed parking facilities. As of July 1, 2007, smoking also is prohibited within 25 feet of all campus buildings, including parking ramps, enclosed parking facilities and athletics facilities.The new smoking policy was developed by a smoking policy review team headed by Susan Buckley, associate vice president for finance and university services and director of human resources; Susan Johnson, associate provost; and Joni Troester, director of UI Wellness. The team consulted broadly across the university with students, staff and faculty.

“I am especially pleased that the review team consulted widely before making its recommendations,” Mason said. “Though not everyone agrees with the review team’s recommendations, it is clear to me that those recommendations were the product of a process that reflected the best traditions of shared governance at the university.”

Critics of the new policy question the feasibility of enforcing the new policy. Enforcement of the current policy relies on the expectation that people will comply with the smoking policy. Otherwise, the supervisors of employees violating the policy will be notified of the infraction, and repeat violators will be subject to progressive discipline in accord with the university policies. Students who violate the policy by smoking in areas that are designated as nonsmoking will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the policies and regulations for UI students. Faculty, staff and students who see visitors smoking in designated no-smoking areas are asked to politely inform them of the UI smoking policy.


Discarded cigarette butts find refuge in container located within boundaries of 25-foot smoke-free zone outside of English-Philosophy Building on UI campus

Recognizing that the change will be difficult for employees and students, Mason said the university will use the 17 months before the policy takes effect to ensure that all employees and students have access to smoking cessation programs and services at no cost or at sharply discounted rates. “I will be appointing a team to implement this policy,” Mason said, “and the first task of that team will be to ensure that we are taking every step we can to help smokers quit.”

For staff and faculty, UI Wellness offers a range of opportunities for smokers, including smoking cessation classes and reimbursement of up to $300 for nicotine replacement or prescription drugs to aid them in quitting smoking.

Moreover, for students who smoke or chew tobacco, Health Iowa offers a free tobacco cessation program that includes free one-on-one tobacco consultations, behavior modification, relapse, coupons for over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies, and counseling from physicians about appropriate cessation aids and medications.

In addition, Quitline Iowa, 1-866-U-CAN-TRY (866-822-6879), provides free phone-based cessation counseling for all Iowans, available 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Services available in English and Spanish, TDD 1-866-822-2857.