Last year President Gamble signed regulations creating a smoke- and tobacco-free University of Alaska. Campuses decided when in 2015 to implement these changes and that time is almost upon us here at Statewide.

UAA and Anchorage-based SW employees will work in a smoke- and tobacco-free environment as of Nov. 19, corresponding with the Great American Smokeout. UAF and Fairbanks-based SW employees will be going smoke and tobacco free as of Dec. 31.��

Generally this new regulation states that:�

• Smoking and the use of all tobacco and tobacco-related products are prohibited within all university real property, buildings and vehicles. Littering an area with, or with the remains of, tobacco-related or smoking-related products is also prohibited. This prohibition applies to all university events, events held on university grounds or property and applies to all members of the university community including faculty, staff, students, friends, volunteers, patients, customers, vendors, contractors, guests and visitors.

Regulation expands on the prohibition as follows:

• Smoking: Means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying of any lighted or heated or vaporized tobacco-related product or non-tobacco plant product, or operating an electronic smoking or vaping device, instrument or apparatus which can be used to simulate the experience of smoking, or which can be used to house a liquid containing nicotine for delivery in any form to the user, including but not limited to hookahs, water pipes, e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, and vape pens.
• Tobacco and tobacco-related products: Include all forms of tobacco, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, kreteks, bidis, other inhalable burning substances and all smokeless tobacco and tobacco-containing products.
• Tobacco use: Includes inhaling, smoking, sniffing, chewing, dipping, or any other assimilation of tobacco products.

In anticipation of those who may wish to give up the habit, Statewide HR has established a tobacco cessation webpage with a variety of resources available to UA employees:� http://www.alaska.edu/benefits/tobacco-use/

There is of course no requirement to quit smoking or the use of tobacco; these behaviors will just no longer be allowed anywhere on university grounds.

For the full text of University Regulation R05.12.102; Smoke-Free/Tobacco-Free Campuses, please go to the UA Board of Regents page here:� http://www.alaska.edu/bor/policy/05-12.pdf

For any questions related to the Smoke and Tobacco Free regulation, please contact SWHR at 450-8200.