Dear Carolina Faculty, Staff and Students:
I am pleased to announce a new University policy as a result of legislation
passed by the North Carolina General Assembly this summer and following
consultation with the Faculty Council, Employee Forum and Student Advisory
Committee. While we have banned smoking inside University buildings and
facilities for years, beginning January 1, 2008, we will expand the
no-smoking boundary to 100 feet from all University facilities, both on and
off campus, and we will not have any designated smoking areas. Smoking
in state-owned vehicles also will be prohibited.
This extension of our no-smoking zone, authorized by revisions to G.S.
143-596, provides an opportunity for the University to sustain its
dedication to a healthy work and learning environment. It allows us to
reduce the potential for exposure to second-hand smoke as we reinforce the
efforts of our colleagues in UNC Health Care. Since July 4, the health
system, School of Medicine and Campus Health Services have prohibited
smoking anywhere on the grounds and parking areas around their buildings.
The practical effect of this University policy is that the campus will be
smoke-free. We will begin posting temporary signs throughout campus to
ensure that visitors and members of the campus community are aware of the
expanded no-smoking policy. Later, we will replace these signs with
permanent signs at the entrances to campus. The intent of the policy is to
promote the health and well-being of people on our campus, although we
understand that implementation of this policy may be stressful for some of
our faculty, staff and students who choose to smoke.
As we restrict the areas where people can smoke, we also will provide many
resources to help members of the Carolina community who would like to quit
smoking. For information about smoking cessation assistance, students should
refer to the Campus Health Services Web site,
http://campushealth.unc.edu,
and faculty and staff should refer to the Environment, Health and Safety Web
site,
http://www.ehs.unc.edu.
When the new policy goes into effect on January 1, I ask that you treat
smokers courteously and, if you are comfortable doing so, simply request
that people who are smoking within 100 feet of University facilities
extinguish their tobacco product.
I wholeheartedly support this expanded dimension of our no-smoking policy
because of its tremendous health benefits for the entire University
community, and I ask for your full cooperation as we implement the policy
and related procedures in January.
Sincerely,
James Moeser
Chancellor
