Tobacco no longer allowed at WVU and Marshall

West Virginia University and Marshall University officially join the growing list of tobacco-free campuses across the country.

Monday is the effective date for tobacco bans at both WVU and Marshall.

The WVU Board of Governors approved the ban June 2012, expanding a similar policy for the Health Sciences campus enacted in 2010. Marshall’s Board of Governors unanimously passed the policy June 11. 

The bans apply to faculty, staff, students, contractors, vendors and visitors.

The policy extends to all premises owned, operated, leased or occupied by WVU. The same applies for Marshall.

The policy includes an exemption that can be requested for events that attract a large number of off-campus visitors, with the approval of the vice president for administration and finance, provided smoking is restricted to designated outdoor smoking areas.

At Marshall, the advertising, sale or free sampling of tobacco products will also prohibited on campus.

Cessation programs and resources will also be available to employees and students at both WVU and Marshall.

To learn about these options, visit the WVU Healthcare Wellness Program’s cessation page or the WVU Employee Wellness cessation section. Students can utilize cessation programs through WELLWVU.

Marshall will be setting up programs to help students, faculty and staff with cessation efforts.

According to an April 2013 report by the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, 1,159 campuses in the U.S. are smoke-free. Of that, 783 are tobacco-free.