Goal: Tobacco-free, healthy campus environment

Rice employees and students were reminded this month that Rice has a tobacco-free policy that restricts the use of all tobacco products to designated outdoor areas of the campus.

The designated areas were selected to minimize exposure to secondhand smoke, so most are located away from intersections, major pathways and the quads. The approved locations are marked with a sign indicating “Designated Tobacco-Use Area.”

For a close-up view of the Designated Tobacco-Use Areas on campus, go to http://www.rice.edu/tobacco-free/maplarge.html.

The policy, FAQs and a map of the Designated Tobacco-Use Areas can be found at http://rice.edu/tobacco-free.

“The restriction on the use of tobacco products on campus is consistent with the university’s other wellness initiatives,” Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby wrote in a letter to faculty, staff and students. He cited a variety of programs, including weight control and skin-cancer screening, as examples of other wellness efforts. Faculty and staff can learn more about those programs at http://people.rice.edu/Wellness.aspx. In addition, Rice’s Employee Assistance Program can also provide one-on-one counseling.

“The long-term goal is to provide a tobacco-free, healthy campus environment,” Kirby said. “If you smoke or chew tobacco, I encourage you to check out the helpful tips and resources compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm.”

For more information on the smoking-cessation programs available at Rice, visit http://quitsmoking.rice.edu.