July 23, 2018 | UHCL Staff
In keeping with prevailing research regarding the use of tobacco in public places, the University of Houston-Clear Lake has moved to implement a campus-wide tobacco-free policy effective Aug. 1.
The university had restricted smoking to certain areas for several years, but all the while considered options to make the campus tobacco-free. The decision was finally made after students, faculty and staff took a poll in April 2017 that conveyed support for the initiative, said Associate Professor of Educational Research Carol Carman and Assistant Professor of Psychology Christine Walther. Carman is chair of the University Life committee and Walther is a Faculty Senate committee member.
“The committee spent considerable time exploring all possible options to consider the question of implementing a tobacco-free policy from all angles,” said Walther. “We weighed a number of alternatives and came to the conclusion that it was time to make our campus tobacco-free, and to offer the tobacco-using members of our community as much support as possible in tobacco cessation resources.”
Carman said the university would be creating business card-sized handouts with tobacco cessation resources. “The cards will list websites and contact information targeted to both faculty and students containing health insurance information and ways to find out benefits eligibility for those working on tobacco cessation,” she said. “The cards can also be used to simply hand to someone who might not know to tell them in a friendly, informational way about our policy change.”
Carman added that Assistant Professor of Communication Anna Klyueva’s Public Relations Campaigns class was instrumental in helping disseminate the information about the policy change, as well as informing the university community about available smoking cessation resources. “The class developed materials to promote the campaign and increased the university’s awareness of the upcoming policy change,” she said. “Houston Methodist Hospital has also offered tobacco cessation resources.”
Since the campus is transitioning, Walther said, social norms will come into play and the cards will be helpful. “Compliance is about being a good community citizen,” she said. “People tend to follow policies if they know how their actions are impacting others.”
Goody bags have been put together containing multiple cessation resources, coupons for nicotine gum and the like. “Stickers reminding people of the new policy will be going up on all entrances,” Carman said.
Klyueva’s students polled the university and found that approximately 25 percent of the respondents were tobacco users across the entire university community, 13 percent of those polled reported to be traditional cigarette smokers, 9 percent e-cigarette/vapor users, and the remaining 3 percent were divided between cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco users.
Carman said the University Life committee that polled the university and made the decision to implement the tobacco-free policy was comprised of representatives from all over the university, including Student Services, Health Services, Counseling Services, University Police, Student Housing and Residential Life and Facilities Management and Construction.
For more information about available tobacco cessation resources, visit www.uhcl.edu/campus-life/health-wellness/health-services/quit-smoking and blog.uhcl.edu/news/uh-clear-lake-to-implement-tobacco-free-policy-aug-1.
