Smoking at UC Santa Cruz

Policies, Information, and Resources

In order to protect the rights of the nonsmoking community to breathe smoke-free air on the UCSC campus, smoking is prohibited:

in all indoor areas of all public buildings on campus
in all common areas of residential buildings (e.g. bathrooms, lounges)
outside areas within 25 feet of building doors, windows, or air intakes (including patios underneath building windows)
in all university-owned vehicles (including shuttles)

In addition, tobacco products are not sold anywhere on campus.

The smoking policy states that outside areas near a building may be designated as smoking areas provided that:

smoke will not enter the building
it is not a thoroughfare for nonsmokers
there are ashcans available for cigarette disposal

If you smoke, please be aware that contact with smoke poses a serious health hazard for those with allergies, asthma, and other pulmonary or immune system disorders. Maintaining a smoke-free area around buildings is critical to ensure that people can avoid smoke while entering and exiting, and to prevent smoke from entering staff work areas via doors, windows, and air intakes.

If you are a student, and would like information on how to quit smoking, please contact the staff at the Student Health Center (x2211). In addition to literature, they also stock nicotine patches and smoking cessation kits. If you are an employee, please contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-866-808-6205.

For more information about the campus smoking policy, you can view:

the UCSC Policy for a Smoke-Free Environment
the cover letter which accompanied the policy when the policy was enacted in 1990
frequently asked questions about the policy, also distributed in 1990
a status report about compliance with the policy, written in 1996
the letter to the campus community distributed in October 1997

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Last modified July 10, 2006.

Buddy Morris, Director, Environmental Health and Safety, UC Santa Cruz, bmorris@ucsc.edu.