UNLV Smoke-Free

On Aug. 15, 2022, UNLV officially became a smoke-free campus.

UNLV is committed to providing a safe and healthy on-campus learning and work environment for its students, faculty, staff, clients, contractors, vendors, visitors, lessees, and individuals residing on the UNLV campus.

There are multiple negative health impacts related to smoking, using electronic smoking devices, and using tobacco products. The negative health impacts affect not just individuals who are engaging in these activities and using these products, but also the people who are around them.

Below is more information about this new policy as well as resources on how you or your loved ones can quit smoking.

What You Need to Know

UNLV Going Smoke-Free

UNLV seeks to provide a clean, healthy environment for the entire community. A smoke-free, vape-free, and tobacco-free campus will:

Protect people from unwanted and involuntary exposure to tobacco and passive smoke.
Establish a supportive atmosphere for those trying to quit using tobacco.
Create a culture of wellness for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Create a cleaner and healthier living, learning and working environment.

This policy will go into effect on Aug.15, 2022.

It will apply to students, faculty, staff and visitors on all UNLV properties. Organizers and attendees at public events, such as conferences, meetings, public lectures, social events, cultural events, and sporting events using university facilities are required to abide by the Smoke-Free, Tobacco-Free Campus policy. Organizers of such events are responsible for communicating the policy to attendees.

The policy includes the UNLV Maryland Campus, Shadow Lane Campuses, and all other buildings or facilities owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled by UNLV in the state of Nevada. This also includes Thomas & Mack Center.

The boundaries include any property owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled by UNLV. This includes indoor and outdoor UNLV properties in the state of Nevada including, but not limited to all buildings and structures, sidewalks, parking lots, walkways, attached parking structures and university-owned vehicles.

Events or activities scheduled elsewhere are bound by the policies or rules of the event coordinator or property manager.

Smoking or tobacco use locations will not be available on UNLV campuses and properties after the policy goes into effect.

This policy prohibits all forms of tobacco and any nicotine delivery device that has not been approved by the FDA for cessation. (The FDA has the authority to regulate e-cigarettes as a "tobacco product" under the Tobacco Control Act). E-Cigarettes and vape pens promote and/or perpetuate nicotine addiction, and thus for many people may lead (or lead back) to cigarette use.

All forms of smoking, tobacco and marijuana use, and unregulated nicotine products, including but not limited to:

cigarettes, cigars (commercially or self-rolled)
pipes, hookahs, water pipes
electronic cigarettes
vape pens
Bidis, Kreteks
smokeless tobacco (e.g., snuff, snus, chew)
Cannabis / marijuana in all forms including smoking, edibles, pills, or skin applications

Smoking refers to inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying of any lighted or heated tobacco or marijuana product, as well as non-tobacco smoking substances and smoking instruments.

UNLV respects cultural and religious practices that include the use of tobacco as well as the possible need to conduct research on tobacco and tobacco products.

Exempt from this policy is burning tobacco on the UNLV campus as part of university-sponsored activities by cultural or religious groups for ceremonial purposes and in compliance with state and federal law, which includes the ceremonial burning of tobacco by American Indians. All tobacco burning under this exemption must be approved by the UNLV Office of the Executive Vice President & Provost before the tobacco is burned.

For visitors, we believe education and reminders about the smoke-free and tobacco-free policy will be important and the university will provide messaging on university affiliated materials, websites, vendor contracts and for special events.

The Office of Student Conduct shall address violations of this policy by students. Supervisors shall address violations of this policy by employees. The Office of Student Conduct and Supervisors shall address a first violation of this policy by a student or employee through education about this policy and about smoking and tobacco-use. Violations of this policy may result in verbal warning or written documentation of violations of UNLV policy for employees and students.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

No. The policy prohibits smoking and using tobacco products anywhere on the UNLV campus. This includes prohibiting smoking and using tobacco products in privately owned cars or other vehicles parked or located on the UNLV campus.

These buildings are considered on-campus housing. UNLV/NSHE owns these properties and leases them to a 3rd party. Therefore, they are considered part of the UNLV campus under the policy. Smoking and using tobacco outside, near these buildings is prohibited when on the UNLV campus, which includes sidewalks and other outdoor areas near The Degree and The Legacy that are surrounded by UNLV property.

This policy prohibits smoking and using tobacco anywhere on the UNLV campus. It applies to sidewalks and all outdoor areas on campus. This includes sidewalks that cross campus or that are surrounded by UNLV property but excludes sidewalks adjacent to campus that abut a public street.

Resources: How You Can Quit

While UNLV is not requiring that people quit using tobacco products, the university is committed to supporting all students and employees who wish to stop using tobacco products with cessation resources. Students, faculty, and staff choosing to continue using tobacco products may do so, but only on their own time and in areas not owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled by UNLV.

Assistance to students, faculty, and staff to overcome addiction to tobacco products is available. Forms of approved nicotine replacement therapy such as gum and patches are available to all students, faculty and staff through the Nevada Tobacco Quitline by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or by visiting nevada.quitlogix.org from June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2023.

View a full list of additional resources below:

The Nevada Tobacco Quitline is a free phone-based service available to Nevada residents 13 years or older. The program provides confidential one-on-one coaching and free nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, or lozenges) for callers who identify themselves as UNLV students, faculty and staff. Coaches will determine if you’re eligible to receive the nicotine replacement therapy.

The Quitline is also available online. Program recipients receive free access to special tools, a supportive team of quit coaches, and a community of others trying to become tobacco-free.

If students are interested in quitting, please schedule a consultation with the Student Health Center by calling 702-895-3370.

UNLV Student Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) also provides a variety of mental health resources and services.

The My Life, My Quit program is a free and confidential service for teens who want help quitting all forms of tobacco including vaping. Coaches receive extensive training as tobacco treatment specialists through our CTTTP-accredited program, with additional training on adolescent cognitive and psychosocial development from a psychologist and professor at Stanford University who specializes in adolescent tobacco prevention. My Life, My Quit does not provide cessation medications to anyone under age 18. Teens who request medications are referred to a healthcare professional to discuss whether medications are an option to support their quit attempt.

Freedom from Smoking® (FFS), the American Lung Association’s adult cessation program, guides individuals through the quitting process with eight sessions over a 7-week period.

Focusing on a variety of evidence-based cessation practices, the clinic is delivered in a small group setting (up to 16 people) to give participants personalized attention and the support of their peers. To meet the needs of different learning styles, instruction includes lectures, group discussion, and skills practice.

Freedom From Smoking® Plus is a 12-month online cessation program to assist an individual in a step-by-step quitting process at their own pace. The FFS Plus program is a highly-interactive online behavioral change program that addresses today’s mobile lifestyles through both web-based counseling. It works on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones and includes support from trained tobacco cessation counselors.

You can learn more about this online program here.

Funded by the CDC, the Asian Smokers’ Quitline is a nationwide Asian-language service. The free Quitline offers self-help materials, referral to local cessation programs, one-on-one phone counseling, and a free two-week starter kit of nicotine patches.

Services are available in four languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese. The Quitline also provides information to friends and family members of tobacco users.

Tobacco cessation resources are also available in Spanish. For free help quitting smoking or/ and vaping, our Spanish speaking community can call 1-855-DEJELO-YA or 1-855-335-3569.