MAGNOLIA – Southern Arkansas University will become “smoke free” on Aug. 1, and a task force charged with educating the University community about the new policy is seeking input from students, faculty and staff. The task force began its work Monday and hopes to begin its campaign this spring.
The Arkansas General Assembly adopted the Arkansas Clean Air Act during its 2009 regular session. The law requires all state-supported institutions of higher education to become smoke free campuses by Aug. 1. Current laws ban smoking inside the University’s buildings, but the new law will ban smoking on any property owned or operated by the University – even outdoors. The law does not address smokeless tobacco products, but current SAU policy bans its use inside buildings.
Vice President for Administration and General Counsel Roger Giles is leading SAU’s Smoke Free Campus Task Force. He said the group hopes to begin educating the University community in April to ensure those who smoke have ample time to find alternatives to smoking on campus. Permanent signs designating the campus as smoke free will be in place by July 1.
Members of the campus community may submit ideas on implementing the policy to the task force by contacting the Office of Human Resources at (870) 235-4008 or by contacting their representatives in the Student Government Association, Residence Hall Association, Faculty Senate or Staff Senate.
