What: Duke University will be a tobacco-free campus beginning July 1, 2020. This means the use of all tobacco-based products, including cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, hookahs, chewing tobacco, snuff, and electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes, vaping products, IQOS, as well as any other forms of tobacco will be prohibited on all property and grounds owned or leased by Duke.

When: This policy goes into effect on July 1, 2020, to allow time for people who smoke within the Duke community to seek and obtain treatment to overcome their nicotine dependence.

Where: This policy applies to all buildings, property and grounds owned or leased by Duke University. It is consistent with the tobacco-free policy implemented by Duke Health, including the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing, in 2007. The same tobacco-free provisions will now cover all property owned or leased by Duke University and Duke Health.

Who: All students, staff, faculty, contractors, visitors, volunteers, and vendors on Duke University property are subject to the policy.

Why: As part of the Healthy Duke initiative, Duke seeks to promote a healthy environment for members of its community and those it serves. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, and it leads to the death of more than half of all smokers. Duke will be joining more than 2,000 colleges and universities in the United States that have already adopted tobacco-free policies (including noncombustible and smokeless tobacco such as e-cigarettes). E-cigarette and vaping products have also been connected to an aggressive syndrome called E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) that causes severe and sometimes fatal lung injury and commonly affects young people who are otherwise healthy.

Support Resources

Tobacco-Free PowerPoint Presentation

Use this PowerPoint presentation with your faculty, staff, or students to provide an overview for the Tobacco-Free policy that will go into effect July 1, 2020.

How to Address Employee Non-Compliance

Review this scenario to understand how to address an issue with an employee who does not comply with the tobacco-free policy.

Expectations of Supervisors/Managers

  • Inform: continue to make sure your staff are aware of this on-going initiative and the work place expectations
  • Support: encourage those on your staff who smoke, vape or use other tobacco products to make use of the tobacco cessation and other support resources available through Duke LIVE FOR LIFE, and their personal physician
  • Recognize: staff who have become tobacco-free as a result of their efforts and response to this change in workplace policy
  • Create and foster a "quit-friendly" environment: educate yourself and your staff about the cessation process and how to support those breaking free from tobacco use. Engage former smokers and tobacco users as advocates.
  • Act responsibly: support the tobacco-free policy by holding all persons accountable, including staff, students, faculty, volunteers, visitors, vendors, and contractors. Managers are expected to engage smokers, vapers and tobacco users on Duke University owned and solely-leased properties, both inside and outside of all buildings, on grounds, interior streets and parking structures, informing them of our policy and offering tobacco cessation resources.