University of California announces campus-wide smoking ban

All University of California campuses will be smoke-free within the next 2 years.

Mon, Jan 16 2012 at 2:00 PM

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The on-campus smoking ban continues with the announcement that all 10 of the University of California (UC) campuses will be smoke-free within the next two years. This announcement comes just weeks after Atlanta’s Emory University announced a similar smoking ban. Nearly 600 college campuses are either smoke-free or on their way to becoming smoke- and tobacco-free campuses.

Administrators at each of the University of California campuses — which include Berkeley, UCSD and UCLA — will be responsible for creating and implementing their own policies. UC President Mark Yudof would like to see this process completed within the next 24 months.

Yudof explained the reason behind his decision in a letter delivered to campus chancellors:

“As a national leader in healthcare and environmental practices, the University of California is ready to demonstrate leadership in reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. Offering a smoke-free environment will contribute positively to the health and well-being of all UC students, faculty, staff, and our patients and visitors.” Source: The Daily Californian

The letter goes on to list several stipulations that must be included in each policy, including a ban on the use of e-cigarettes, the prohibition of tobacco advertisements on campus and the availability of smoking cessation resources to staff and students.

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

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Comments: 3

Enter your name Jan 18 2012 at 6:55 PM

Stop blowing smoke in our ears and address the issue of UC Berkeley subsidizing foreign student tuition President Yudof. Californians subsidize the tuition of foreign students at UC Berkeley (UCB) in the guise of diversity while instate student tuition/fees are doubled. UCB Chancellor Robert J Birgeneau displaces Californians qualified for public UCB with a $50,600 payment from foreign students. UC Berkeley is not increasing enrollment. Birgeneau accepts $50,600 foreign students and displaces qualified

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instate Californians (When depreciation of assets funded by Californians are in foreign and out of state tuition calculations, out of state and foreign tuition is more than $100,000 + and does NOT subsidize instate tuition). Like Coaches, Chancellors Who Do Not Measure Up Must Go: remove Birgeneau. More recently, the campus police reporting to Chancellor Birgeneau deployed violent baton jabs on students protesting Birgeneau’s tuition increases. The sky will not fall when Birgeneau and his $450,000 salary are ousted. Opinions make a difference; email UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu

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Michael J. McFadden Jan 17 2012 at 1:47 PM

I have no problem with Universities playing mommy and daddy for the children at their schools (although I think the "children" in question ought to have a BIG problem with it!). Nor do I have a problem with a University deciding to "demonstrate its commitment to reducing" tobacco or alcohol or sugary soda use by banning such things: they have that right and if the students are willing to put up with it, then that's their problem. My problem comes when the university authorities use lies to promote

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the behavior controls they're after. There is no "protecting nonsmokers from secondhand smoke" going on. There's no threat, not in any actual English usage sense of the word, from the exposures to wisps of smoke that students are getting on campuses nowadays. Even if you accept the Antismokers' own figures, the EPA Report, once you adjust for durations and intensity of exposure for the average non-smoking student you'd be speaking of roughly ONE extra lung cancer for every TWO HUNDRED MILLION STUDENT-YEARS of exposure. (Calculated on the basis of a 19% increase over a base nonsmokers' rate of .4% after 40 years of continuous indoor exposure and accounting for outdoor dilution.) Even with U of CA's coterie of perpetual grad students I don't think waving the "threat" of outdoor campus exposures counts as something I'd characterize as the truth. The campus bans are simply a behavior modification tool: meant to treat the children as "lab rats" who can be "shocked" into the preferred behavior of not smoking by simply making it more difficult for them to smoke comfortably. The social engineers don't usually like to admit it, but that's really what it's all about. Michael J. McFadden, Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"

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Wally Jan 24 2013 at 11:19 AM

I see that sad old smoker Michael J. McFadden is still out there, trying to justify his nasty habit. Why would anyone believe you? You are just trying to pimp your vanity press book to other addicts.