ATTENTION GCU COMMUNITY!
Georgian Court University has officially become a 100% Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free campus to encourage healthy habits for all GCU students, employees, and campus visitors.
A smoke-free campus prohibits all forms of smoking, including tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes and other vape or smokeless tobacco products in all indoor and outdoor areas. This includes dormitories, buildings, offices, recreation areas, sports complexes, parking lots, and any university owned/leased property or vehicles.
GCU’s Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free policy applies to all students, employees, contractors, vendors, and visitors when present on campus. The consequences for violating the new policy start with a warning, and then progress to a fine or even termination from campus for repeated offenses. The policy is in section 2.6.3 of the GCU Policy Manual.
“Quitting smoking is one of the most important things a person can do to improve their physical health, and the health of everyone around them,” said Robin Solbach, Director of Health and Counseling at GCU. “Smoking can cause a number of serious health issues, and vaping has been found to be even more damaging to the lungs. Our decision to become a smoke and tobacco-free campus is driven by the desire to mitigate these negative health effects in our community.”
Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventative disease and death in the United States. The Surgeon General has concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found secondhand tobacco smoke to be a risk to public health and has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, the most dangerous class of carcinogen. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke causes an increased risk for acute respiratory problems, asthma attacks, adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, coronary heart disease, and lung cancer. Vaping is similarly dangerous, as vapes contain acrolein, which can cause irreversible lung damage.
The university received a $4,000 grant from the NJ Prevention Network to support the Smoke-Free initiative. Funds will be used to provide the materials, education, training and outreach. This also includes training student ambassadors to hold roundtable discussions with their peers about the dangers of smoking and vaping and the resources available to help them quit.
To help our campus become 100% Smoke-and-Tobacco-Free, GCU will offer resources and referrals for smoking cessation, including enrollment in a free, 8-week smoking cessation program through NJ QUITS.
For more information about the new policy or to download infographics about what items are prohibited and the consequences for violating the policy please visit: https://georgian.edu/health-services/smoke-free
- Students can call Health Services 732-987-2756 or send a confidential email to healthservices@georgian.edu.
- Staff and faculty can contact Human Resources for assistance, support, and referrals by sending a confidential email to gcuhr@georgian.edu.
- GCU also has a long-term relationship with Quit For Life visit quitnow.net or call 1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE TTY.
- All New Jersey residents can call the NJ Quitline at 1-866-NJ-STOPS.
GCU is committed to fostering the health and well-being of all members of our university community and providing the best possible environment for students, faculty and staff to achieve success.
