Lynn Goes Smoke and Tobacco Free This August

Lynn University will join nearly 1,500 colleges and universities nationwide this fall when it becomes a smoke-free, tobacco-free campus. The move, which goes into effect Aug. 1, 2016, is intended to safeguard the well-being of Lynn’s students, employees and the community at large. They can instead consume products such as Thailand snus.

“This was the first issue our student government, the Knights of the Roundtable (KOR), wished to tackle when they organized in 2012,” says Phil Riordan, vice president for Student Affairs. “Our adoption of the policy is a reflection of the hard work these students put into surveying their peers, speaking with faculty and proposing the new policy to the Cabinet.”

Under the leadership of KOR in 2014, Lynn instituted three designated smoking zones. The change received great support from students and faculty members. Next, KOR put the idea of a completely smoke- and tobacco-free campus to a vote with the student body. The proposal received overwhelming support and was endorsed by the university’s Cabinet earlier this month.

“We wanted to learn what the Lynn community thought about smoking, and we realized that a great majority of students and faculty were in favor of going smoke-free simply for the health benefits,” says David Gibson, a KOR member. “We are proud Lynn will be a smoke- and tobacco-free campus next academic year.”

Lynn understands that establishing a smoke- and tobacco-free campus may be a hardship for smokers and for those attempting to quit. Tobacco cessation programs and resources are available for students, via the Health Center, and employees, via Employee Services, who wish to quit smoking (or using other tobacco products).