A Message from President Hallick
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
In the spirit of fostering a healthy environment for the university community and our guests, I am pleased to announce an update to our tobacco usage policy.
As you may know, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Secondhand smoke alone kills an estimated 49,400 non-smoking adults in the United States annually.
Updates to the policy outlined below were developed and fully vetted through the shared governance process with significant and diverse representation throughout the university. The University Council, with input and review by the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and both student senates over the past year, approved the revised policy in April 2014.
The updated policy is available here for your reference and goes into full effect on May 31, 2015 in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day. The change in our policy expands the current indoor policy on the Forest Grove Campus to include the outdoors.
Key elements of the updated policy include the following, most of which were in our existing policy prior to the update:
- Smoking of any kind, including but not limited to tobacco products, hookah and e-cigarettes, is prohibited anywhere on university-owned or controlled grounds. This includes the Forest Grove Campus and all campuses and locations in Hillsboro, Portland, Eugene, Woodburn and Hawai'i. This policy applies to all indoor and outdoor areas, parking lots and inside vehicles parked on university owned or controlled property.
- Use of all types of tobacco products, including smokeless chew or snuff, is still prohibited at the Hillsboro, Eugene, Woodburn campuses and locations in Portland.
- The presence, sale or distribution of tobacco products of any kind are not permitted on Pacific University owned and controlled property.
- Signage noting the prohibition of smoking will be prominently displayed throughout all university owned or controlled locations.
- Compliance and enforcement of this policy is a shared responsibility of all university community members. Incidents of non-compliance may be reported to Campus Public Safety, the Office of Student Life or the Office of Human Resources.
I appreciate that some changes can be challenging. Please know that the updated policy will provide the healthiest possible environment for students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors of the university. We are committed to assist any of you who are interested in reducing or eliminating your use of tobacco products.
In response to the Department of Health & Human Services "Fresh Air Challenge," Pacific has been recognized as a Fresh Air Gold Campus and as a mentor to other schools working on tobacco and smoking-related policies. Pacific, along with other health agencies in Washington County, successfully applied for and received a community transformation grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This grant supports public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities and control healthcare spending in smaller communities.
The updated policy attached is also available on the university website and contains information on smoking cessation resources available to both university community members and visitors.
As of January 2013, more than 1,100 college and university campuses across the country have implemented tobacco-free policies. In Oregon, all forms of tobacco use are prohibited at Corban University, Eastern Oregon University, East West College, George Fox University, Northwest Christian University, Mt. Hood Community College, Multnomah University, Portland Community College, Umpqua Community College, University of Oregon and Warner Pacific College. Smoke-free universities and colleges in Oregon include Chemeketa Community College, Oregon State University, University of Western States, and Walla Walla University – Portland Campus.
Thank you for your support in making Pacific a healthier community.
Warmest Regards,
Lesley M. Hallick, PhD
President