Texas A&M To Go Smoke Free And Tobacco Free January First

From Texas A&M University:

Texas A&M University will become a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus effective Jan. 1, 2020, President Michael K. Young announced today. The initiative is in compliance with recommendations and requests from The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

The announcement reflects efforts concerning the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff and visitors on the Texas A&M campus and across the United States. Currently, more than 480,000 people die each year from smoking; statistics show almost all of them started smoking before the age of 26.

“Across the nation, more than 2,000 universities have already become smoke-free and tobacco-free,” Young said. “If other institutions can make this transition, I am confident that Aggies will show their spirit by supporting this new policy and sharing news of this change. With your help, everyone who comes to Texas A&M will be able to enjoy a healthier and more comfortable campus community.”

On Oct. 1, the A&M System instituted a ban on vaping and e-cigarettes across all 11 universities and eight state agencies within the System.

The Jan. 1 policy additionally bans cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs and water pipes, Bidis, Kreteks, smokeless tobacco including chew and snuff, and other nicotine and/or tobacco delivery products. This ban includes all Texas A&M University campuses including main campus and all College Station locations, all Health Science Center sites, the branch campuses at Galveston and Qatar, the Higher Education Center at McAllen and other university sites.

Additional information can be found on the Tobacco-Free Policy Fact Sheet.

WHY SHOULD TOBACCO BE BANNED AT TEXAS A&M?

About 480,000 people die from smoking each year in the United States and almost all of them started smoking before the age of 26. In addition, 41,000 deaths occur from second-hand smoke every year. Research shows that people are more likely to quit smoking if they live and work in an area where smoking is not allowed. Also effective September 1, 2019, the State of Texas raised the smoking and e-cigarette age to 21 for anyone born after August 31, 2001. This will make the use of tobacco against the law for most Texas A&M students within a few years.

In addition to causing direct health hazards, smoking and smokeless tobacco use contribute to institutional costs associated with employee and student absenteeism, health care and increased medical insurance, increased fire risk and environmental impact, and cleaning and maintenance costs. A tobacco -free campus also has less waste from cigarettes butts and vaping cartridges and reduces maintenance costs. This policy reflects our commitment to the health and well-being of all Aggies.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SEE SOMEONE SMOKING OR VAPING ON CAMPUS?

You may want to choose from the following options:

Remind the person that Texas A&M is a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus

Kindly request the person to stop smoking

Inform the person that there are cessation support resources on campus and in the community to help people quit, including University Health Services and the Texas Tobacco Quitline.

HOW CAN I GET HELP IN QUITTING SMOKING OR VAPING?

EVERYBODY

Texas Tobacco Quitline: Free Resource to help All Texans quit smoking either by phone or online: 1-877-YES-QUIT or yesquit.org.

STUDENTS

The Office of Health Promotion has a variety of resources to help students quit vaping or smoking (studentlife.tamu.edu/hp).

EMPLOYEES

Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free counseling to help quit using tobacco and other products (employees.tamu.edu/eap/appointments).

The Brazos Valley Council of Alcohol and Substance Abuse also provides free cessation counseling for faculty and staff (wellnessworks.tamu.edu/physical/tobacco-cessation/bvcasa).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT AREAS OF CAMPUS WILL BE SMOKE AND TOBACCO-FREE?

This initiative covers all campus areas of Texas A&M including all Health Science Center sites, Galveston, McAllen, Qatar and other college sites.

IS THIS A NEW IDEA? DO OTHER CAMPUSES DO THIS?

As of July 1, 2019, more than 2,375 campuses were 100% smoke-free including all public universities in Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa and Louisiana.

IS VAPING OR CHEWING TOBACCO STILL ALLOWED?

No, all forms of smoking, tobacco use and other nicotine delivery products are included. This includes but is not limited to:

• Cigarettes, cigars, pipes
• Hookahs and water pipes
• Electronic cigarettes and vape pens
• Bidis, Kreteks
• Smokeless tobacco including chew and snuff

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