Louisiana State University Eunice Adopts Tobacco-Free Policy

Policy developed in partnership with the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living

Lafayette, La. – January 10, 2014 – Louisiana State University Eunice, a Fresh Campus grantee of the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL), has officially adopted a tobacco-free policy for its campus in Eunice. The policy went into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. As classes resume Monday, Jan. 13, LSU Eunice and TFL are working together to spread the word so all are prepared for the spring semester.

“Based upon the overwhelming scientific evidence, the cessation of tobacco use is an intelligent thing to do; and, frankly, as higher educators, improving upon a student’s intelligence and, ultimately, upon the overall quality of their life is what we are all about,” said LSU Eunice Chancellor William Nunez. “That’s why the campus-wide leadership’s endorsement of a No Tobacco Use policy, makes very good sense for the benefit of everyone at LSU Eunice.”

This tobacco-free policy will create a healthy work and learning environment for students, faculty and staff by removing harmful secondhand smoke and tobacco use from the LSU Eunice campus. The policy prohibits all faculty, staff, students, visitors, vendors, contractors, and all others from using tobacco products of any kind (cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, etc.) on any property owned, leased or controlled by the University. Penalties will be assessed. A full copy of the policy can be found at www.lsue.edu/tobacco.

TFL, a program of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and administered by the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), along with many collaborative, multi-sector partners and advocates, works with Louisiana’s colleges and universities to achieve 100% tobacco-free policies such as this. Its Fresh Campus program is a student-led campaign established to facilitate the empowerment of college students to create social change on their campus by focusing efforts on tobacco-free campus policies.

“The Surgeon General’s 2012 Report: Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, indicated that social norms influence young people to try tobacco products,” said Kelley Anderson, Regional Manager of the Lafayette area for TFL. “It also found most people who smoke in public do so because there are no comprehensive smoke-free laws. This is a great step forward for LSUE, TFL and Louisiana’s young adults and we’re proud to have worked with such a great team toward this accomplishment.”

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The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living

The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Tobacco Control Program (LTCP) coordinate their efforts in tobacco prevention and control by providing statewide coordination of existing tobacco control initiatives, funding innovative community programs for tobacco control, offering services for people who are ready to quit and developing statewide media campaigns to help reduce the excessive burden of tobacco use on the state’s resources and improve the overall health and quality of life in Louisiana. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org. To find out more about the dangers of secondhand smoke and show your support for a 100-percent smoke-free Louisiana, visit www.healthierairforall.org. To learn more about quitting tobacco, visit www.quitwithusla.org.

About the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC)

The Louisiana Cancer Research Center of New Orleans provides a structure in which Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - the state's two leading medical research institutions - will work together and coordinate cancer research development in preparation for recognition as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) - Designated Cancer Center. The consortium is funded through five cents of the tobacco excise tax, three cents to fund infrastructure and cancer research program development for the new Consortium and two cents for tobacco control and prevention programs. Conservative estimates indicate that approximately $10 million per year will be generated from this revenue source. For more information, visit www.lcrc.info.

About the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)

Founded in 1997, The Louisiana Public Health Institute’s mission is to promote and improve the health and quality of life in Louisiana through public-private partnering at the community, parish and state levels. By fostering collaborative endeavors in the areas of health information, public policy, applied research, and community capacity enhancement, LPHI works to develop community-oriented solutions that improve the health of the Louisiana population. For more information, visit www.lphi.org.