Tobacco-Free Campus Policy Endorsement
Updated on January 13, 2016
IUPUI's tobacco-free policy has been in place since 2006. In alignment with the Indiana University-wide policy that prohibits the use or sale of tobacco, tobacco products, and smoking-related products on IU property, the IUPUI policy was designed to promote a healthy environment by prohibiting smoking and tobacco use anywhere on property owned or leased by the university's IUPUI campus. In 2015, the IUPUI policy was expanded to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes and vaping equipment.
The Centers for Disease Control has found that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In addition, the latest U.S. Surgeon General's report, “The Health Consequences of Smoking -- 50 Years of Progress,” chronicles the enormous costs associated with the epidemic of cigarette smoking and identifies the increasing use of e-cigarettes as an avenue toward nicotine addiction.
With this in mind, we must do our part as a campus community to create a safe and healthy environment for everyone. As a public institution of higher education and Indiana's health and life sciences campus, IUPUI bears a special responsibility in relation to health and wellness.
We conduct world-class scientific research that translates into life-saving treatments for people suffering from the effects of smoking. We also train the majority of Indiana's health care professionals. As such, it is incumbent upon us to foster the healthiest campus environment possible for our faculty and staff who spend the majority of their working hours on our campus; for students who expect a welcoming, inclusive, and safe campus; and for patients visiting hospital facilities on our campus.
We share this message because we care about your health and want to create a positive, healthy environment for those who work, study, and conduct research on campus. For those of you who smoke or use e-cigarettes or vaping equipment, I encourage you to visit Tobacco-Free IUPUI for information about cessation services. It will take all of us working together as a community to make this happen.
I encourage everyone to exercise civility and respect in complying with the IUPUI Tobacco-Free Campus policy. So doing, we can enable students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors to preserve their health by providing an environment where people can work, study, and live free from risks associated with the use of tobacco and smoking-related products.
Together, let’s make a healthy choice an easy choice at IUPUI.
Nasser H. Paydar
Chancellor