The Tobacco Free UNLV initiative is creating a healthier community through policy and environmental changes that will support healthy behaviors
and choices.

UNLV students, organizations, staff and faculty are concerned about the toll that tobacco use has on the health and well-being of the university community. As a public institution of higher education, UNLV has an obligation to exercise leadership by promoting a healthy, tobacco free environment for its students, employees and visitors.

Please click on the link and sign the petition to make UNLV a Tobacco Free Campus today!

 

Why Tobacco Free UNLV?

• The decision to become a tobacco free campus aligns perfectly with the university's urban sustainability initiative of achieving a healthy and sustainable Las Vegas community.
• Research findings show that tobacco use in general, including smoking and breathing secondhand smoke, constitutes a significant health hazard.
• In 2009 over 85% of UNLV students reported they didn't smoke.
• The college-age population is a prime marketing target for the tobacco industry, and tobacco use rates in this population are rising.
• More than 420 college and university campuses have comprehensive smoke free campuses.
• Tobacco Free UNLV will work with tobacco users and provide comprehensive cessation services to help those who want to quit.
• UNLV's status as an innovative, premiere home for scholarship and professional leadership place it in an ideal position to institute this vitally important public health policy.

What are some benefits of a Tobacco Free UNLV?

• Supports community efforts to reduce or eliminate tobacco use in public settings
• Eliminates second-hand smoke from around building entrances.
• Eliminates litter from cigarette butts and other debris.
• May encourage some tobacco users to stop a harmful habit.
• Prepares UNLV students to cope with future employment in tobacco-free environments.
• Sets a positive example for high school students and young children who are often on campus.
• Reduces risk of fires caused by cigarette smoking.

In 2010 UNLV Student Report:

• 16% smoke cigarettes; 16% smoke hookah; and 6% smoke cigars
• 70% of smokers report they have tried to quit in the past year
• Almost 60% of smokers want to quit before they graduate
• 85% believe it is a moderate to severe health hazard when exposed to secondhand smoke and 84% state they have been exposed while on campus
• Less than 30% know UNLV's current policy only prohibits smoking inside campus buildings, including dorms
• 73% believe it is important to enact a campus-wide tobacco free policy

 

 

TOBACCO TREATMENT RESOURCES

http://studentlife.unlv.edu/caps/index
"Student Counseling & Psychological Services is committed to helping students benefit fully from their college experience at UNLV."

http://studentlife.unlv.edu/shc/index
"The student health program provides prevention and education opportunities in an accountable quality health care setting that is accessible and cost effective to UNLV students."

http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/tobacco/helpsmokers
"You can quit. Quitting is hard. Many people try several times before they quit for good. But they do succeed. This booklet tells you about ways you can quit."

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/quit-for-life
"The American Cancer Society Quit For Life Program operated by Free & Clear is a telephone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service to help people quit smoking. Participants are matched with a Quit Coach who helps them develop a personalized quit plan, provides guidance in choosing medicines, and gives ongoing follow-up support. This program has helped more than 1 million tobacco users make a plan to quit for good."

http://www.smokefree.gov
"Smokefree.gov provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking."

http://www.livingtobaccofree.com/home
"Nevada Tobacco Users' Helpline is a nicotine dependence treatment center that treats all types of tobacco. We know from experience, education, and professional training how difficult it is to quit tobacco-use."

http://www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/how-to-quit
"The American Lung Association offers resources to help smokers figure out their reasons for quitting and then take the big step of quitting for good."

http://www.becomeanex.org
"EX will help you pick your smoking habit apart into little pieces you can tackle one by one. Once you begin, you'll start to look at quitting smoking not as one huge war, but as a series of small battles you can actually see yourself winning."

PARTNERS OF TOBACCO-FREE UNLV

American Cancer Society: Colleges Against Cancer (CAC)
American Lung Association of Nevada
March of Dimes Nevada Chapter
Nevada Cancer Institute
Nevada State College (NSC)
Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition
Southern Nevada Health District
UNLV Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
UNLV Office of Civic Engagement and Diversity
UNLV Student Health Center
UNLV Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC)
Urban Fuel

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why should UNLV become tobacco free?
UNLV has a responsibility to its students, faculty and staff to provide a safe and healthy environment.  Research shows that tobacco use in general, in addition to the effects of secondhand smoke, constitutes a significant health hazard. Secondhand smoke causes an estimated 46,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers; nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30%.

To Whom will the tobacco free policy apply?
The use of tobacco will be prohibited throughout the UNLV campus, including university buildings, parking areas, athletic fields and arenas. It will also apply to university vehicles and other university property.

What resources are available to assist in the transition?
Students may contact the Student Health Center for services, including access to cessation programs and resources.

What about the rights of tobacco users?
This policy does not remove any person's right to use tobacco, but it does prohibit such behavior on university property. The policy is built on a foundation of mutual respect for both tobacco users and those who do not use tobacco, engendering an environment of mutual respect and clean air.

Could a policy like this ever actually be implemented?
UNLV will be joining more than 240 other U.S. colleges and universities in becoming 100% tobacco free; schools such as the University of California San Francisco, University of Kentucky, and the University of Central Oklahoma (among many others) have successfully implemented tobacco free campus policies. Tobacco free campus policies are a logical extension of any university's overall commitment to the health and well-being of the entire university community.

HELPFUL RESOURCES/LINKS

Tobacco Free UNLV YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/GuthrieScholar

2009 Nevada Smoking & Tobacco Use Facts from the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/state_data/state_highlights/2010/states/nevada/index.htm

American Lung Association's 2009 State of Tobacco Control in Nevada
http://www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org

2004 Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Tobacco Use
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/index.htm

2006 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2006/index.htm

CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco

National Cancer Institute's Smoking and Cancer Page
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/smoking

The Truth about "Light" Cigarettes
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/light-cigarettes

Cigar Smoking and Cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cigars

Secondhand Smoke and Cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS

Smokeless Tobacco
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/smokeless-tobacco

FDA Warns of Health Risks Posed by E-cigarettes
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm173401.htm

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Compiles Up-to-Date Iinformation about Tobacco Statistics and Actions being Taken against Tobacco
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org

Americans for Nonsmoker's Rights is the Leading National Lobbying Organization Dedicated to Nonsmokers' Rights
http://www.no-smoke.org

U.S. Colleges and Universities with Smoke free Air Policies
http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf

Smokefree Vegas
http://smokefreevegas.com

"Like drinking too much alcohol or doing drugs, smoking is also very harmful to your health. It can cause serious health conditions including cancer, heart disease, stroke and gum disease. It can also cause eye diseases that can lead to blindness. Smoking can make it harder for a woman to get pregnant."
http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/159_155.asp

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Please click on the link and sign the petition to make UNLV a Tobacco Free Campus today!

We are Tobacco Free UNLV. Our goal is to design and implement a comprehensive tobacco free campus policy for UNLV, and we need your (and your organization's) support!

We can offer many volunteer and involvement opportunities to the members of your organization. We need people to attend events, gather signatures, and contact your student government and UNLV administration; all while educating students, faculty, and staff about what this policy is and why it is so important.

Please contact us at info@tobaccofreeunlv.com to get involved today!

IN THE NEWS

Las Vegas Sun - Smoke-free effort on college campuses gathers momentum (December 14, 2010)
CBS News - Tobacco Smoking Danger: Even One Cigarette Risky, Surgeon General Says (December 9, 2010)
CCSD Employee Highlights - Watch "Inside Education" on Vegas PBS Nov. 30 (November 23, 2010)
The Rebel Yell - Smokeout quantifies support for tobacco-free campus (November 22, 2010)
The Rebel Yell - IN BRIEF: UNLV School of Nursing voices support for national Smokout (November 15, 2010)
UNLV News: Studio G [16:42-20:12]
News KNPR 88.9 - Smoke-Free Policy at UNLV? (October 26, 2010)
Vegas Seven - Students Butt Out (October 21, 2010)
The Rebel Yell - Tobacco Free UNLV regulations won't touch Millennium Scholarship (October 11, 2010)
The Rebel Yell - Project seeks tobacco-free campus by 2012 (September 27, 2010)
Southeast News - Grant fuels bid to ban butts at area colleges (September 21, 2010)

CONTACT US

info@tobaccofreeunlv.com

Click link to join us on Facebook!		Click link to sign UNLV Tobacco Free Petition!

Dr. Susan VanBeuge UNLV Project Director Tel 702-895-3719	Phoebe Kuo-Jackson Director of Student Counseling and Psychological Services Tel 702-895-3627
Jill Racicot Activities Coordinator Tel 702-895-5920	Tina Saddler Director of the Student Health Center Tel 702-895-3370
Jay Souza Director of Wellness Promotion and the Jean Nidetch Women's Center Tel 702-895-4400	Kristin Guthrie Graduate Assistant Tel 702-533-8737
M. Lake Albrecht Website Manager Tel 702-895-3718