On Thursday, Feb. 23, it was announced that Marquette University will become a tobacco free campus.

After five years of work led by students across campus, university approval for the tobacco free campus is complete. The tobacco free campus will take effect Tuesday, Aug. 1.

Why do we have this policy?

Marquette University is committed to the Jesuit educational principle of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. This includes supporting physical well-being. Therefore, as part of our institutional efforts, we seek to create and maintain an environment that promotes health and healthy behavior for all of our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Because tobacco products have well-known health risks associated with their use and secondhand exposure that put all members of the Marquette community at risk, the university has developed a tobacco-free policy.

What is the policy?

1. Smoking or use of other tobacco products by students, faculty, staff, contractors, vendors, and visitors is prohibited in or on all campus property including all interior spaces on Marquette University’s campus, all outdoor property or grounds controlled and/or maintained by Marquette University, all university-owned or leased vehicles, and all outdoor athletic facilities.
2. Tobacco is defined to include any lighted cigarette (clove, bidis, kreteks), cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookah products, and any other smoking product. This also includes any smokeless, spit or spit less, dissolvable, or inhaled tobacco products; including but not limited to dip, chew, snuff or snus, in any form (orbs, sticks pellets, etc.). Nicotine products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a smoking cessation product, such as e-cigarettes, are also prohibited.
3. Use of tobacco products is permissible on city sidewalks.
4. Religious practices involving the use of tobacco will be exempt from this policy and are to align with the policies of Campus Ministry and Office of Student Development.
5. Tobacco and nicotine product advertisements are prohibited in university-sponsored publications.

Additional resources and forms

Students and employees wanting to quit the use of tobacco can access the Wisconsin Quit Line at (800) 784-8669 (800-QUIT-NOW). Employees of Marquette University can also utilize the medical/prescription drug benefits through UMR and/or the Employee Assistance Program. The medical/prescription drug benefit is for all enrolled employees, spouses and dependents. The EAP is a benefit for all employees, spouses, and dependents. It is 100% confidential and offers in-person or telephone sessions with Master’s-level counselors where employees can talk about a variety of concerns including tobacco related issues.

Employee handbook: http://www.marquette.edu/hr/documents/EmployeeHandbook7.17.pdf 

Cessation resources:  http://marquette.edu/wellness/employees/smoking-cessation.shtml

More information can be found online.