April 19, 2024

University of Iowa to ban all tobacco on campus

IOWA CITY (AP) — The University of Iowa is set become the first of the state’s three public universities to ban tobacco on its campus.

School officials announced Tuesday that expanding the smoke-free policy into a tobacco-free policy has been approved by the school’s president and her cabinet.

Smoking cigarettes on campus was banned in 2008, but not e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco and nicotine products.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports the new policy will apply to students, faculty, staff and visitors. It will also cover all buildings, vehicles and outdoor areas owned, leased or controlled by the university.

Last year, the university’s president created a group to gather information from various school bodies about whether they would prefer keeping the current policy or changing it in some way.

The new policy is scheduled to take effect Aug. 24, the first day of the school’s fall semester.