In conjunction with the 2013 Earth Day, UCLA prepares to become tobacco-free campus, including prohibiting the use of cigarettes, cigars, oral tobacco, electronic cigarettes and others tobacco-related products

One of the popular activities on campus between classes, especially for foreign students, will end on April 22, 2013. UCLA’s students and staffs who usually lighting up a cigarette or taking a smoke break outside classrooms or dorms will soon be prohibited. This is in conjunction with celebrating the 2013 Earth Day.

After receiving recommendation from a committee, UCLA’s Chancellor Gene D. Block announced the decision in a letter. The letter said that tobacco-related products such as cigarettes, cigars, oral tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and others will be illegal on the Westwood campus, including in all buildings, sites, sport stadiums, dorms, parking structures owned or leased by UCLA.

As one of the largest public universities di America, UCLA was far behind from other 500 university campuses nationwide that have already ban smoking. To follow UCLA’s decision, other UC system will also prohibit tobacco use on all campuses by January 2014.

Aside prohibiting the use of tobacco-related products, as per the Chancellor’s letter, UCLA is planning more activities to promote the Bruins campus as the healthiest college campus in America. UCLA will also expand its research focus on areas to promote better life in community. Those research areas include nutrition, physical movements, environment and controlling stress.

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