Texas A&M University To Become Smoke-Free, Tobacco-Free

COLLEGE STATION, TX – Texas A&M University will become a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus effective January  1, 2020, President Michael K. Young announced recently. The initiative is in compliance with recommendations and requests from The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

The announcement reflects efforts concerning the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff and visitors on the Texas A&M campus and across the U.S. Currently, more than 480,000 people die each year from smoking; statistics show almost all of them started smoking before the age of 26.

“Across the nation, more than 2,000 universities have already become smoke-free and tobacco-free,” Young says. “If other institutions can make this transition, I am confident that Aggies will show their spirit by supporting this new policy and sharing news of this change. With your help, everyone who comes to Texas A&M will be able to enjoy a healthier and more comfortable campus community.”

On October 1, the A&M System announced a ban on vaping and e-cigarettes across all 11 universities and eight state agencies within the system.

The January 1 policy additionally bans cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs and water pipes, Bidis, Kreteks, smokeless tobacco including chew and snuff, and other nicotine and/or tobacco delivery products. This ban includes all Texas A&M University campuses including main campus and all College Station locations, all Health Science Center sites, the branch campuses at Galveston and Qatar, the Higher Education Center at McAllen and other university sites.

Additional information can be found on the Tobacco-Free Policy Fact Sheet.

Featured

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.