Smoking policy updated

East Tennessee State University passed a policy Aug. 11, 2008, making its campus tobacco free. The smoking policy excluded smoking and all other tobacco usage except if only used in the privacy of individuals’ vehicles.  The policy was applied to all university buildings; grounds; ETSU-affiliated, off-campus locations; clinics; any buildings owned, leased and/or rented by ETSU in all other areas; and all ETSU facilities located on the campus of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home.  
On Dec. 6, 2012, the ETSU Tobacco-Free Policy Implementation and Compliance Task Group issued a final report updating the smoking policy.

According to the final report, “The task force addressing Tobacco-Free Policy Implementation and Compliance was charged with developing strategies and an implementation plan that addresses campus awareness and compliance related to the ETSU Tobacco Free Policy.”

The task force’s goals for this implementation plan were to develop strategies to promote awareness of the policy and available resources, to benchmark implementation plans and compliance strategies at selected tobacco-free institutions and to develop an implementation plan and compliance strategies for the ETSU Tobacco-Free Policy.

The report stated that, “In initial conversations, the task force felt it beneficial to develop a general framework and guide to assist in directing our work.”  
The task force reviewed tobacco-related polices at other Tennessee Board of Regents schools such as Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University and University of Memphis and other universities such as Appalachian State University, Belmont University, Eastern Carolina University, Eastern Kentucky University, Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Jacksonville University, James Madison University, Kennesaw State University, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, Trine University, University of Arkansas Little Rock, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina — Charlotte, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, University of Oregon, University of South Alabama, University of Texas Arlington, University of Texas El Paso to utilize the “best practices” to benefit the university.

After reviewing these other institutions’ policies the task force developed recommendations in the areas of marketing and awareness, enforcement and compliance, measurement of program success/failure and educational resources/cessation.