Nov 05, 2014 12:25 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

In an effort to ensure the health and well-being of their students, staff and faculty, the University of Alabama will enact a smoke-free campus policy next year.

Starting Jan. 1, 2015, smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, will be prohibited in all facilities, grounds and parking areas on the Tuscaloosa campus. This is the next step in a long-standing policy prohibiting smoking inside University buildings and limiting smoking areas outside buildings.

"The policy protects the [University of Alabama] community from the dangers of secondhand smoke, promotes a healthier environment and reduces the problem of littering and the risk of accidental fires due to discarded cigarettes," school officials said.

The college is providing resources to support our community as this policy takes effect. The Student Health Center, the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, and the College of Community Health Sciences/University Medical Center will offer assistance to individuals who want to stop smoking.

Faculty and staff covered by the University's insurance plan will be provided current benefits for smoking cessation products and services. At this time, this includes a waiver of co-pays for some services.

School officials said they are confident that both smokers and non-smokers will be cooperative, responsible and understanding during "this time of transition as the campus wide policy takes effect."

The University of Alabama joins more than 1,400 colleges and universities across the country that have become smoke-free.

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