LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Bellarmine University will become a tobacco-free campus on January 1, 2010. The university made the decision following a campus-wide survey and year-long study.
Bellarmine will prohibit the use of tobacco on all university property, including vehicles and sports and recreation facilities. Smoking in personal vehicles will be allowed. This policy will be a self-enforcing community effort.
The university will sponsor smoking cessation programs free of charge to all participants. New signage will make campus visitors aware of the change in policy.
"We are taking an important step toward making our community healthier for everyone," said Fred Rhodes, vice president for academic and student life. "We respect the freedom of Bellarmine community members who choose to smoke, but we also recognize the rights of community members to enjoy the campus free from secondhand smoke. Through patience and a community spirit, we believe this policy will be successful and will benefit students, employees and visitors."
Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university offering more than 50 majors, as well as graduate degree programs and a doctor of physical therapy. Forbes magazine and the Princeton Review rank Bellarmine among America’s best colleges, and U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Bellarmine as a top tier university.
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