OCU To Ban Tobacco From Campus

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City University will ban use of tobacco on campus next year, university officials said.<br/><br/>In a letter sent to the campus community, University President Tom McDaniel

Thursday, August 23rd 2007, 2:15 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City University will ban use of tobacco on campus next year, university officials said.

In a letter sent to the campus community, University President Tom McDaniel announced that on May 12, the day after graduation, the school will become a tobacco-free campus.

"We are keenly aware that we cannot ignore the preponderance of evidence that tobacco use is a threat to everyone's health, smokers and non-smokers alike...," McDaniel said in the letter. "OCU has a responsibility and duty to protect students, employees, and visitors from tobacco's harmful effects by eliminating its use on our campus."

McDaniel said campus-wide activities and programs that will be held throughout the year to help people stop using tobacco.

Liz Hedrick, the school's assistant vice president for human resources, said part of the initiative will involve providing students, faculty and staff members with tobacco patches and counseling services to help them drop the habit.

Oklahoma Christian University and the University of Oklahoma's Health Science Center also prohibit use of tobacco products.