Tobacco Free
Communicating and Enforcing the Policy
To report an incident, use the Tobacco Incident Reporting Tool.
The success of this policy is dependent upon respectful behaviors from the entire community. The University expects everyone to play a role in both following the policy, as well as educating people about its expectations when they see behaviors that violate it. Given the large number of visitors every day, you may come across people who are smoking who may not realize the University has restricted it. Please give everyone the benefit of the doubt and respectfully share that USF is now completely tobacco and smoke free, including e-cigarette use.
For the policy to be effective, everyone on campus must play a role in educating others on the policy. Anybody who is aware of someone smoking on campus is encouraged to politely explain the USF policy and ask the smoker to comply. We expect employees and students to be ambassadors for the initiative and model health-promoting behaviors
Here are some tips to help:
- Make sure you use the same language with faculty, staff, students, contractors and visitors.
- Use a firm, but compassionate approach when relaying your message.
- Do not apologize for the policy, and do not use the word "ban" it comes off as negative. Instead use words, such as prohibit.
- Ask tobacco users to please respect others on campus and to follow the policy while on campus.
Here are some scripts that can help address tobacco policy incidents on the USF-Tampa campus.
If someone refuses to comply with the policy, you may escalate the concern as follows, based on the individual's relationship to the USF community:
| If the Offender is a ... | Report the Complaint to ... |
|---|---|
| Student | Student Rights & Responsibilities |
| Faculty or Staff Member | Employee's Supervisor |
| Contractor/Vendor | Purchasing Services |
To report an incident, use the Tobacco Incident Reporting Tool.