Last modified: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
IU Bloomington to become tobacco free on Jan. 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 18, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington will become a tobacco-free campus on Jan. 1, 2008, in an effort to provide a healthy environment for all members of the campus community.
The use or sale of tobacco products will be prohibited at IU Bloomington on university property and in university vehicles. Temporary exemptions are being granted to allow tobacco use in certain areas -- for example, near campus residential facilities and the Indiana Memorial Union. In those areas there will be ash urns printed with the words "Thank you for making IU Bloomington a tobacco and smoke free campus."
"Implementation of the policy will depend upon the cooperation of all of us, and we want civility and collegial good will to guide us through this transition," said Karen Hanson, IU Bloomington provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Answers to frequently asked questions about the tobacco policy can be found on the Web at https://www.smokefree.indiana.edu/BL-faq.html.
Adam W. Herbert, then the Indiana University president, in February 2007 directed all IU campuses to implement policies to become tobacco-free by the beginning of 2008. University trustees supported a tobacco ban, citing concerns about the health effects of smoking and second-hand smoke and stating that the university should take the lead on a matter of public health.
Hanson notified members of the IU Bloomington community about the policy by e-mail in October. The tobacco prohibition applies to students, faculty, staff and visitors. It covers university parking garages and lots. There will be no effort to ban smoking in private vehicles if users make a reasonable effort to contain smoke within the vehicles.
As an incentive for choosing not to use tobacco, IU will pay the cost for full-time academic and staff employees and their family members who are 18 and over to take part in the Free & Clear Quit for Life tobacco cessation program. Enrollment in an IU-sponsored medical plan is not required.
Also, IU has established a Wellness Health Reimbursement Account plan in which the university will contribute $10 a month to an HRA account for employees who do not use tobacco and agree not to use tobacco -- or who complete the Free & Clear Quit for Life program by June 1, 2008, and a follow-up survey six months later. The account can be used to pay for medical expenses.
The IU Bloomington tobacco policy can be seen at https://www.smokefree.indiana.edu/BL-policy.html. For information on tobacco cessation resources in the Bloomington area, see https://www.smokefree.indiana.edu/BL.html.
