California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) will officially become a smoke- and tobacco-free campus on Friday, September 1, following a system-wide executive order from California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White.

All CSUB students, faculty, staff, alumni, university volunteers, contractors, vendors, and guests visiting the campus will be required to follow the policy. In recent years, CSU Bakersfield has limited smoking to designated campus locations. Those locations will be removed effective September 1.

In a memo to the campus community, CSU Bakersfield President Horace Mitchell said, “CSU Bakersfield is committed to a healthy and pleasant environment where everyone who works and studies at our campus can breathe freely. This change in policy is an important action that will result in a healthier environment for our entire campus community.” (President Mitchell’s memo is available here[csub.edu].)

According to Executive Order 1108, “smoke free” means the use of cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and other “smoke” emanating products, including e-cigarettes, vapor devices, and other like products. The order also prohibits the use of smokeless tobacco, snuffs, and other tobacco products.

As part of the new policy, smoke and tobacco products will no longer be allowed on any campus property, including campus buildings, residence halls, bus stops, parking lots and inside vehicles parked on campus.

California’s current no-smoking law already prohibits smoking within 20 feet of main entrances, exits, and operable windows of all state, county, and city buildings, including University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California community college buildings.

“As Student Health Services promotes healthier lifestyles and positive health behaviors, we are fully in support of this move to be smoke- and tobacco-free,” said Lauren Ash M.S., CSUB Health Educator.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States, nearly one in five deaths, and contributes to approximately 41,000 secondhand smoke exposure deaths among nonsmoking adults each year.

As part of implementation, CSUB’s Student Health Center will be providing an eight-week Smoking Cessation Support Group for students, faculty, and staff seeking to break the habit.

In the coming weeks, CSUB will promote compliance by implementing educational campaigns, outreach, communications, and the promotion of tobacco cessation treatment programs that will assist people in quitting smoking completely or help them adhere to the smoke-free and tobacco-free policy.

On Friday, September 1, the campus community will come together to implement a “Breathe Freely” campaign and officially pledge to make CSUB a smoke- and tobacco-free campus.

For further information about CSUB’s smoke and tobacco-free policy, please visit: https://www.csub.edu/bas/hr/Smoke_Free_Campus/index.html[csub.edu].