Board Calls for College Campus Tobacco Ban

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio colleges will be urged to ban tobacco on campus in an effort to create healthier environments.

The Ohio Board of Regents announced on Monday it voted unanimously to approve a resolution presented by Regents’ Chairman James Tuschman.

It recommends each board of trustees in the University System of Ohio consider implementing its own policy to rid campuses of tobacco products.

Chancellor Jim Petro supports the resolution, and said in a media release, “By approving this resolution and recommending that policies be implemented on our campuses, the Board of Regents can have a significant and positive effect on a student’s life.“

Petro was diagnosed in 2009 with laryngeal cancer that could have been caused by smoking, a habit he picked up in college and kept for 40 years.

He is now cancer-free.

The Board of Regents noted almost 40 percent of college-aged smokers either began smoking or become a regular smoker after starting college, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

The resolution will be sent to each board of trustees for consideration.