ProStaff - the Newsletter

USM Tobacco Policy

The USM Tobacco Policy Committee has been working on a new tobacco proposal for USM. Since the current tobacco policy was last revised in 2002, there is more conclusive scientific evidence that exposure to secondhand smoke whether inhaled indoors and outdoors, poses a serious health threat.

The medical journal Lancet, recently noted that 600,000 non-smokers die every year from exposure to secondhand smoke. Tobacco use is still prevalent and claiming many lives prematurely. This awareness is impelling employers to take a closer look at their tobacco policy and to take the next steps towards adopting a tobacco-free policy.

Currently there are more than 367 universities and colleges across the nation that are tobacco-free campuses. Here in Maine, the University of Orono became a tobacco-free campus in January 2011. USM needs to strive to also become a tobacco-free campus as the current policy allowing designated smoking areas is not working.

If you would like to see USM become tobacco-free join the USM Tobacco Policy Committee by emailing sroy@usm.maine.edu. If you don’t want to serve on the Committee yet want to support this noble effort, please send President Botman an email at sbotman@usm.maine.edu letting the USM Administration know that you are in support of breathing clean air no matter where you walk on USM campuses.