Tobacco, Vape, and Marijuana-Free Campus

Effective: August 1, 2017, updated August 1, 2023

The policy: Nazareth University is a smoke-free, tobacco-free, vape-free, and marijuana-free campus.

Where: All University-owned and leased property, indoors and out, including personal offices, parking lots, University sidewalks, and landscaped and recreational areas. The policy includes University-owned, leased, or rented vehicles, regardless of their location. Campus map.

Who: The policy includes faculty, staff, students, clients, contractors, and visitors.

Why: Nazareth promotes health and wellness, including a healthy, safe, and clean environment for students, visitors, and the Nazareth community.

Compliance: Courtesy and consideration will be exercised when informing others unaware of and/or in disregard of the policy. The University's goal is to educate and to help those who request assistance. The successful implementation of this policy depends on the involvement, respect, courtesy, and cooperation of the entire campus community.

Notifications: The policy was announced in March 2017. Appropriate signage is posted in campus facilities and elsewhere to inform students, employees, and visitors of the policy. The policy is communicated in appropriate college publications and contracts. 

Help Quitting

Support for quitting smoking or vaping is free and confidential.

For students: Nazareth's Health & Counseling Services, 585-389-2500, meets individually with students to discuss available resources, including nicotine replacement, prescription medication, health evaluations, and one-on-one or group therapy. Students undecided about quitting are also welcome. Learn more.

For Nazareth employees with Excellus health insuranceExcellus’s Quit for Life program (in partnership with the American Cancer Society), 800-442-8904, includes personalized phone coaching, discussion forums online, quit guides for you and for friends/family to assist you, and (if recommended for you) six weeks of nicotine replacement therapy (patches or gum).

For any Nazareth employees, spouses, dependent children, and others permanently living in your household: Nazareth's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides professional assessment, online resources, and short-term counseling to develop a problem-solving plan and referral to community services, including for tobacco cessation.

For anyone in New York stateNew York State Smokers’ Quitline or 866-697-8487.

For friends: Do's and don'ts for helping a smoker who's trying to quit, from the American Cancer Society.

Questions & Answers

Definition of tobacco, vapes, and smoking

Nazareth's policy defines tobacco/vapes to include:

  • any lighted or unlighted cigarette (e.g., clove, bidis, kreteks, etc.)
  • e-cigarettes
  • cigars and cigarillos
  • pipes
  • vaping and vapor devices
  • hookah products
  • any other smoking product
  • any smokeless, spit or spitless, dissolvable, or inhaled tobacco products, including but not limited to dip, chew, snuff or snus, in any form (e.g., orbs, sticks, strips, pellet, etc.)

The policy defines smoking as inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or vape product intended for inhalation, whether natural or synthetic, in any manner or any form.

Definition of marijuana

For the purposes of this policy, "marijuana" refers to all parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, whether growing or not, the seeds thereof, and any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds, or resin. This includes, but is not limited to, marijuana flowers, buds, leaves, stems, concentrates, extracts, oils, edibles, tinctures, and any other form in which marijuana is consumed or used. It encompasses both recreational and medicinal marijuana products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other cannabinoids, regardless of the method of consumption (smoking, vaping, eating, etc.).

 

Are other college campuses tobacco-free?

As of January 2, 2017, there were 1,757 smoke-free campuses, of which 1,468 — about two-thirds — were fully tobacco-free.

Why target tobacco?

From the Centers for Disease Control:

  • Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body.
  • Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death.
  • Thousands of young people start smoking cigarettes every day.
  • Smoking costs the United States billions of dollars each year.
  • Many adult cigarette smokers want to quit smoking.
Why include e-cigarettes (vapes)?

E-cigarettes — also called e-cigs, e-hookahs, or vapes — are devices that typically deliver nicotine, flavorings, and other additives to users via an inhaled aerosol, according to the 2016 Surgeon General's Report: E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults. The effects include addiction, priming for use of other addictive substances, reduced impulse control, deficits in attention and cognition, and mood disorders.

E-cigarette use among U.S. youth and young adults is now a major public health concern. E-cigarette use by high school students skyrocketed from 1.5% in 2011 to 16% in 2015. These products are now the most commonly used form of tobacco among youth in the United States, surpassing conventional tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and use of hookahs (water pipes).

Do smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies improve health?

Research shows that these policies both prevent and decrease tobacco use because:

  • The college years are a time of increased risk for smoking initiation and transition from experimental to regular tobacco use, and 99% of regular smokers start by age 26.
  • A 100% smoke-free policy effectively reduces tobacco use by reducing initiation and making it easier for smokers to quit.
  • Smoke- and tobacco-free college campus policies decrease smoking rates and decrease positive attitudes toward tobacco use.

There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the U.S. surgeon general. People with asthma and other health problems can be sensitive to even small amounts of secondhand smoke and should not be required to walk through a cloud of smoke as part of their learning experience.

Talking Tips

Overall, be respectful and helpful

These tips are intended to help Nazareth community members become more comfortable discussing the tobacco- and vape-free policy with other students, faculty, staff, and visitors in a respectful and supportive manner.

  • Remember that the encounter should be supportive, not punitive.
  • Share information about the campus policy in a non-judgmental way.
  • Be empathetic. The three to five minutes you spend with a person struggling with their need for tobacco or vape products could help their craving dissipate.
  • Use common sense.
What if you see tobacco products used on Nazareth property?

A respectful/helpful response:

"Hello, my name is ______, and I am an [employee, student, faculty member] here. I want to make you aware that we are now a smoke-, tobacco-, and vape-free campus, meaning that smoking and all tobacco and vaping products are prohibited on our grounds. Nazareth implemented this policy because we are committed to providing a healthy, safe, and productive work and learning environment for the entire campus community. We would appreciate it if you would not smoke or use tobacco or vape products while visiting our campus."

"Where am I allowed to smoke?"

Response: "Smoking and the use of other tobacco and vape products are not allowed on Nazareth property. If you wish to smoke, you will need to leave campus property. "

"Am I allowed to smoke in my car?"

Response: "We ask that you respect our policy and not smoke or use tobacco,  vape, or marijuana products while your vehicle is on Nazareth property."

What to tell vendors, contractors, and visitors

"As a reminder, Nazareth is Smoke-, Tobacco-, Vape, and Marijuana-free. Smoking or use of tobacco or marijuana products is not permitted on the grounds or in the parking areas. Thank you for respecting our policy."