OSU to begin enforcement of new state tobacco law, citations will be issued
Monday, November 1, 2010
This new state statue reinforces the OSU tobacco-free policy adopted in 2008 and creates a mechanism in which the policy and now law can be enforced.
According to the law, violators would be guilty of a misdemeanor and could be fined between $10 and $100 if convicted. OSU Chief of Police Mike Robinson said OSU Police will now issue a citation to individuals observed violating the law. The case will go to the district attorney for handling.
With this change, OSU employees and students who leave campus to use tobacco products are reminded to be good neighbors by properly disposing of trash and respecting the property of surrounding businesses and organizations.
OSU was the first Big 12 institution and state-funded university in Oklahoma to adopt a tobacco free policy. That policy went into effect in July of 2008.
In addition to the tobacco-free policy OSU also increased cessation resources and assistance, in part, with grants from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. Those programs are still in place today.
A comprehensive list of resources - including a FAQ and information about usage dangers and the benefits of giving up tobacco - can be found on OSU’s “Tobacco Stops Here” website.
Harmful effects of tobacco use account for approximately one in five deaths each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
Read the Oklahoma Smoking in Public Places Act