With billions in grant money, leverage to curb smoking

Despite polls showing overwhelming public support and endorsements from celebrities like Lance Armstrong, efforts to establish a statewide smoking ban in the workplace have fallen flat in recent sessions of the Texas Legislature, The Texas Tribune reports. But a state agency is finding that the billions of dollars it has at its disposal may allow it to be more effective in getting comprehensive tobacco-free policies established—most notably, at university campuses. University administrators around the state are considering campuswide tobacco-free policies as a result of new rules established by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. In January, the institute’s oversight committee adopted a policy that requires grant recipients to have policies prohibiting tobacco use in buildings and structures where financed research is occurring, as well as at the outdoor areas immediately adjacent to those buildings. The grant recipients must also provide smoking cessation services for community members who desire them…

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City Colleges of Chicago ban all tobacco use

According to the Associated Press, tobacco use on all campuses of the City Colleges of Chicago will be banned beginning March 1. The board of trustees approved the new policy this week, which impacts over 120,000 students, 5,800 faculty and staff, and all visitors. The ban also specifically bans all tobacco products, including cigarettes and smokeless products. With this new policy affecting one of the largest community college systems in the nation, here are some statistics and facts on smoke-free policies in Illinois…

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