On April 7, 2011 officials at UMass Amherst moved forward with a plan to implement a smoke-free campus beginning on July, 1 2013. The plan, “A Tobacco-Free UMass Amherst,” disallows smoking on any parts of the university grounds, including fields and parking lots. The ban includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes used by students, faculty, visitors and contractors.

Amherst is following a national trend of more than 200 universities, including UMass Medical, that have proposed and implemented complete tobacco bans. The plan states that “UMass Amherst has an obligation to promote a healthy, and hence a tobacco-free, environment for its students, employees, and visitors.” Key stake holders at UMB are feeling similar sentiments.

UMB is in the beginning stages of developing a smoke-free policy and was awarded a grant by the Boston Public Health commission to begin exploring such measures. Part of the grant allows for comprehensive eight-hour training provided by Bacchus Network, a university and community based network that provides resources pertaining to comprehensive health initiatives. Bacchus will provide the training to various stakeholders within the UMB community to teach best practices, advocacy, construction and implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free campus policy.

Some may argue that such a policy infringes upon personal rights and others take the position that creating a smoke-free UMB is in line with wellness, decreased health and mortality. What is clear from the Amherst example is that such a policy takes time, that it must involve students, administrators and faculty and that smoking cessation supports must be an essential component of any potential ban.