NSU Adopts Tobacco Use Cessation Policy

“Healthy Sharks” Initiative to Begin in July

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Following the lead of Governor Charlie Crist who proclaimed February 27 through March 7 as Tobacco Free Florida Week, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has adopted a smoking restriction policy to promote healthy lifestyles and ensure clean air around campus buildings while greatly reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. A “Healthy Sharks” initiative to support the policy will begin this July. (The University’s mascot is the Shark.)

Under “Healthy Sharks,” NSU faculty, staff and students who want to quit smoking will be encouraged to take advantage of the University’s multiple smoking cessation programs and resources which are available year-round. Resources include motivational counseling through the Guided Self-Change Clinic; counseling, support and readiness assessments by NSU pharmacists, as well as prescription and over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies.

Also under the initiative, smoking will be prohibited everywhere on campus except at designated smoking sites which will be located at least 50 feet from buildings. Smoking will be prohibited in all other areas including NSU campuses and Student Educational Centers throughout Florida. This is the first step in the University’s effort to dramatically reduce smoking on campus.

“Healthy Sharks” is the latest addition to NSU’s Wellness program that encourages the University community to adopt healthier lifestyles by incorporating health and wellness activities into daily routines. Other successful initiatives include: the Biggest Losers weight-loss program; nutritional counseling services; Plus 30 flex-time exercise program for faculty and staff; and Zest for Life for sedentary employees, designed to improve physical and mental well being through weekly participation in designated fitness/wellness and nutritional programs.

“The well-being of our students, faculty and staff is of paramount importance to our university,” said Ray Ferrero, Jr., NSU president. “The new Sharks program is another step towards achieving our goal of a healthier campus.”

NSU adopted the new policy to demonstrate its concern for the health of the campus community – for both smokers and non-smokers. The statistics on tobacco use and cancer are startling as quoted on the website of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Cancer Facts & Figures 2008 reports that:

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women.
• Lung cancer is the most preventable form of cancer death in our society.
• Tobacco use accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths and 87% of lung cancer deaths.
• Each year, about 3,000 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Each year secondhand smoke also causes about 35,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers.

According to the ACS, among all smokers the prevalence by age is highest among college-age people (ages 18-24). NSU is committed to establishing additional effective smoking cessation programs to help decrease the number of students who smoke.

Contact:
Mara L. Kiffin, NSU Office of University Relations
954-262-5350 office, 954-224-4642 cell, mkiffin@nova.edu