A tobacco-free campus emphasizes the health of all students, faculty and staff.
Tobacco is proven to cause long-lasting health risks among its users and those around them. Eliminating tobacco use on campus will promote the health of all those who use our campus. The university has already made a commitment to the health of students, faculty, and staff by constructing a new wellness center and offering many wellness classes. Going tobacco-free shows the sincerity of that commitment.
Most students would prefer a tobacco-free environment.
In the spring of 2012, 3,000 UNK students were randomly selected to participate in the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment. The Survey yielded a total of 690 responses. The survey asked a number of health and well-being questions, including the following questions: Would you be in favor of the UNK campus being 100% tobacco-free? Seventy-three percent of the student body reported that they would be in favor of a 100% tobacco-free UNK.
Banning all tobacco use eliminates confusion.
Banning all tobacco use will eliminate the already unclear tobacco policies that exist. Such a policy simplifies the rules for students, faculty, and staff and many who have felt powerless in situations to confront a tobacco user, will have a policy to back their concerns. As well, smokers in particular may have anxiety over the regulations, such as not knowing how far to stand away from a building.
A tobacco-free campus will increase productivity.
Many tobacco users take extra breaks throughout the day. The hope is that with this policy change, some students and employees will take it upon themselves to quit tobacco use, which will result in more productivity.
A tobacco-free campus reduces litter on campus.
Reduces the costs of making cigarette receptacles Disability Accessible, as required by law.
A vast amount of litter is produced not only by smoking materials, but also from smoke free tobacco use. A tobacco-free policy rids the campus of excess litter caused by remnants of tobacco products.
If UNK’s campus does not allow tobacco use, then the maintenance of the receptacles will no longer be a burden.
UNK could become a regional leader as well as match its peer institutions’ tobacco-free policies.
Currently there are no public universities in the state of Nebraska with tobacco free campuses…let’s show them that WE CAN AT UNK.