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What to Say to a Tobacco User

It is everyone's responsibility, whether staff, faculty, or student, to engage persons on campus to communicate and ensure compliance with this new policy. Communication with community visitors is also important since our facilities are often reserved for outside groups' meetings. 

Things to say if you encounter someone in violation of our Tobacco-Free policy:

“Here is a card about our tobacco-free policy.”  (Cards are available through the Office of Marketing and Communications.)

• “For the health of our visitors, students and employees, tobacco use is not allowed on our campus."
• “Smoking is not permitted anywhere on our campus except in your car.”
• “Please help us by voluntarily following our policy.”
• “Our Human Resources department has free Coping Kits to help you make it through the day.”

Please approach people in a kind fashion and not an aggressive or demeaning manner.  All people at IU Northwest should be treated with respect. We want them to realize that by making the campus tobacco-free we are striving to create a healthier environment for all who pass through here.

General tips for communicating with visitors

• Faculty and staff members courteously and tactfully approaches the person and calmly explains the tobacco-free campus policy. “For the health and safety of our visitors, students and employees, IU Northwest is a tobacco-free campus. Please extinguish your cigarette.” Walk away.
• If the person is a staff member and that person continues to use tobacco products in a prohibited area, report the incident to Human Resources 219-980-6775; it the person is a student, report him/her to the Office of Student Services 219-980-6702 and if the person is a faculty member, report him/her to the Office of Academic Affairs 219-980-6707.
• Hand them an information card. We have created small cards that can be handed to smokers as part of the engagement process.  The cards, as shown below, have a simple statement about our policy and some information about resources they may wish to consider using. Info cards are available to aid in getting the word out about the new Tobacco-Free policy.

Information Card Contents

Information cards are being mailed to all faculty, staff and students to create
awareness of the Tobacco-Free Northwest intiative.

Each card contains the following information:

Effective August 20, 2007 Indiana University Northwest is a tobacco-free campus. Please help us maintain a healthy environment for our students, employees, and visitors by refraining from the use of tobacco products. Smoking on campus is only permitted in your private vehicle.

Want to quit smoking? Here are some options:

• Call the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit www.indianaquitline.net.
• Visit Smoke Free Indiana at www.smokefreeindiana.org.

For additional information visit http://www.tobaccofree.iun.edu.