Resolution of the

University of Oklahoma Faculty Senate

A resolution supporting modernization of the policy for smoking and/or the
usage of tobacco on the Norman campus

Whereas: Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in nonsmokers, who have chosen to not smoke, and;

Whereas: Secondhand smoke causes heart disease in adults, with recent studies finding that smoke-free laws reduce the rate of heart attacks by an average of 17% in just the first year after adoption, with the largest reduction occurring in non-smokers, and;

Whereas: The National Cancer Institute concludes “there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” and;

Whereas: Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke on the Norman campus will have a direct and significant positive effect on the cost of employee benefits over time, and;

Whereas: Over 380 U.S. colleges and universities are completely smoke free, which in Oklahoma include The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, The University of Oklahoma Tulsa Campus, Oklahoma State University Stillwater Campus, Oklahoma State University Tulsa Campus, University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City University;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of The University of Oklahoma hereby requests that The University of Oklahoma develop and implement, in consultation with the University of Oklahoma Student Association, the Staff Senate, and the Faculty Senate, a policy to eliminate smoking and/or the usage of tobacco products on the Norman campus.