On April 3, UW announced that the proposed revisions to Policy 29 were approved, which will enable the university to become a smoke-free campus starting July 1, 2024.
The proposed move to a smoke-free campus was initially announced on Sept. 20, 2023 via an email sent to staff and students on behalf of university president Vivek Goel. The goal is to “encourage and support a smoke-free environment and lifestyle for all students, employees and visitors” and to “protect non-smokers from second-hand and sidestream smoke.”
The policy has many notable revisions, including that all tobacco and cannabis products are banned outright from university property, meaning that anyone who wants to use these products must go off campus to do so. Nicotine replacement therapy products are excluded from this policy, and exceptions for medical or other grounds (like religion) will be given out on a case-by-case basis.
Another change is that the policy now applies to anyone in a vehicle on university campus, not just university-owned vehicles.
There were also revisions to the enforcement of the policy, detailing that the policy will primarily be enforced through education and “cessation support services.” Violations can be reported to the UW Special Constable Service, who will then provide education or enforcement, depending on the case.
The revision included a detailed list of penalties, such as verbal warnings and “educational interventions,” a $50 fine (the same as before), and referrals for discipline from the university. Anyone in serious or repeated violation of the policy or who does not pay the fine could face more serious consequences, like a removal or ban from campus, or withholding of student records.
The university has recognized that there “may be other issues involving health and safety that need to be balanced against the measure of providing a smoke-free environment,”, stating that there will be a transition period from July 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025 where the university will provide designated smoking areas not within 15 meters of university buildings that comply with provincial and municipal requirements. The goal is to help members of the campus community adjust to the ban against smoking and help the university address any challenges this ban will have to health and safety.
In the meantime, the university is offering cessation support sessions for UW staff and faculty run by Public Health nurses, offering tips, tricks, and free nicotine replacement therapy. An in-person session will be hosted on April 29 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in M3 1006, and a virtual session will take place on May 28 from 10 to 11 a.m. Cessation support sessions will be made available to students at a later date, a university spokesperson confirmed.
The updated policy will be moved to the secretariat’s website on July 1, but as of now students and employees can find the policy on the smoke-free Waterloo website.
