ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The University of Michigan plans to ban vaping and update other tobacco policies for its campuses which will go into effect Nov. 17. 

While the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses have been designated smoke-free since 2011, the new updates will soon ban vaping devices and smokeless tobacco products. 

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Going forward tobacco will only be permitted in privately-owned vehicles and on public sidewalks adjacent to public thoroughfares.  University buildings, facilities and grounds, and university-owned vehicles will all fall under the purview of the ban. 

“This update is a natural progression of our efforts to improve the overall well-being of our campus community,” said Rob Ernst, chief health officer and Associate Vice President of Student Life for Health and Wellness.

One of UM’s rivals, Michigan State University, enacted similar protocols that went into effect before the 2016 school year. 

“Products derived from or containing tobacco” include, without being limited to, cigarettes (including clove, bidis, kreteks), electronic cigarettes, aerosol or vapor nicotine delivery devices, cigars and cigarillos, pipe tobacco, hookah-smoked products, and oral tobacco (spit and spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff)” an MSU Tobacco Ordinance states. 

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF), MSU has a rating which demonstrates that the campus bans: Smokeless Tobacco, E-Cigarettes, Hookah, and Smoking/Vaping Marijuana.  

As of July 1, 2022, a report from the ANRF states there are at least 2,604 100% smoke free campus sites.  Of those, 2,176 are 100% tobacco-free, 2,253 prohibit e-cigarette use, 1,235 prohibit hookah use, 586 prohibit smoking/vaping marijuana, and 629 explicitly include personal vehicles on campus in the policy protections. 

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