As was reported in UNMC Today on Tuesday, UNMC will be a tobacco free campus by the end of the summer.
This means tobacco use of any kind will be prohibited on campus once the tobacco free designation goes into effect.
For employees who wish to use the tobacco-free transition as an opportunity to quit, several campus resources are available including:
- A Faculty/Employee Assistance Program counselor that is certified as an addiction specialist;
- The Caremark Prescription Drug Program, which includes reimbursement for tobacco cessation drugs such as Bupropion, Zyban, Chantix and Nicotine Gum;
- On-campus nutrition classes such as Weight Watchers or
Choose to Lose;
- The Center for Healthy Living; and
- Massage therapy in the Student Life Building that helps relieve and manage stress.
“A recent national survey has shown that more than 90 percent of smokers regret having ever started smoking and over 70 percent of them plan to quit smoking,” said Mohammad Siahpush, Ph.D., professor in the College of Public Health and a member of a committee that has developed UNMC’s plan to go tobacco free. “A tobacco-free campus not only protects non-smokers from second hand smoke, but also helps those who want to quit.”