The University of Texas at Austin is now officially, 100 percent smoke free.
The policy takes full-effect today. But it started last year when the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas announced it would not fund research for any institution that allowed smoking on-site. In April, UT set up 15 temporary smoking locations. But those go away today.
Adrienne Howarth-Moore, a UT spokesperson, said the school does not have have a specific, identified enforcement strategy involving the University’s police department for the smoking policy.
“The policy is enforced through all of us, the entire campus community. And so anyone can in fact can help us with enforcement by doing education and awareness. We recognize that we have 70,000 people on campus at any given time, so there are lots of visitors to our campus, members to the public that may not be aware...so anyone who sees someone using tobacco products can politely advise that person that we are tobacco free," said Howarth-Moore.
Moore said the University will make changes to the enforcement policy as needed.
