Save money on facilities and maintenance
Tobacco use on campus consumes valuable staff time picking up cigarette butts, emptying ashtrays and handling complaints about secondhand smoke. Unlike having designated smoking areas, going completely tobacco-free doesn't just move the problem; it eliminates it entirely.

Reduce the risk of fires on campus
Careless smokers start fires by dropping cigarettes in planting areas, bark mulch and trash receptacles. Going tobacco-free eliminates this risk and associated costs, and may decrease fire and property insurance premiums.

"Environmentally unsound and visually unappealing, cigarette litter is one factor pushing a national movement toward tobacco-free college campuses nationwide."
-Kara Hansen, The Daily Astorian, 8/20/08

Eliminate the risk of ADA accessibility challenges related to tobacco smoke
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires colleges to maintain accessible campuses, including reasonable accommodation for students or employees with medical conditions such as asthma that are triggered by secondhand smoke.

Avoid potential legal liability from student, employee and visitor exposure to secondhand smoke
One in five college students surveyed said they experience immediate health effects from secondhand smoke on campus. For students or staff with asthma, such exposure can aggravate their condition to the point of requiring an emergency room visit. By going tobacco-free a college addresses the liability risk associated with exposure to a known heath hazard on its premises.

Advancing sustainability and the triple bottom line
Colleges today are embracing environmental sustainability and integrating this concept into campus operations. Tobacco-free campuses yield social, economic and environmental benefits for colleges. Going tobacco-free is a concrete step a college can take to reduce the environmental impacts associated with tobacco use.