A campus committee has been charged by Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Don Leuenberger to develop a plan to make UNMC a completely smoke-free campus.
With the exception of designated outside smoking areas, UNMC has been smoke-free for almost 20 years, Leuenberger said.
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The committee is a subgroup of the UNMC Wellness Council, which is headed by Kyle Meyer, Ph.D., associate dean of the School of Allied Health Professions.
“The committee has done considerable work studying the policies and experiences of several institutions in preparation for crafting a plan for UNMC,” Dr. Meyer said.
“UNMC will be a smoke-free campus,” Leuenberger said. “I look forward to hearing the committee’s recommendations about what we need to make that a reality.”
The smoke-free designation means smoking will not be allowed anywhere on campus, be it indoors or outdoors, Leuenberger said.
Among the key issues the committee will address is the implementation of a cessation program to help employees who wish to quit using tobacco products, Dr. Meyer said.
UNMC will join many of the country’s other academic health science centers in going smoke-free, Nekuda said.
Currently smoking is allowed only in designated outdoor locations on campus but the recent removal of some of the smoking huts at these sites is a sign that time is short for smoking at UNMC, Leuenberger said.
Nekuda said employees who wish to quit using tobacco products before the campus goes completely smoke-free may want to use cessation products such as Chantix – a highly successful tobacco cessation drug and support program that is largely covered under UNMC’s benefits. Click here to see more information about Chantix.
More information about UNMC becoming a smoke-free campus will be published in future editions of UNMC Today.