Texas A&M University System-wide vaping ban

Dear Members of the A&M-San Antonio Community,

Yesterday, Chancellor John Sharp sent a VAPING BAN memo instituting a ban on vaping that extends to every building, outside space, parking lot, garage and laboratory within the Texas A&M System, including not only campuses, but all affiliated facilities and properties in the 250 Texas counties in which the Texas A&M University System has a presence.

I applaud Chancellor Sharp for taking a bold stance on this increasingly urgent issue. The wellbeing of our campus community is of the utmost importance, and our System and campus policies should reflect that value. There is too little known about the health impact of vaping, and the market is dangerously unregulated. The ban is a necessary step to protect the health of our students, faculty, staff, and the many community visitors to A&M System campuses and other facilities.

A&M-San Antonio’s Smoke-Free Campus Policy is in fairly close alignment with the Chancellor’s leadership on this important issue, as it prohibits smoking and tobacco use entirely, including electronic cigarettes; however, it does not make specific mention of the term “vaping.” We will, therefore, move quickly to make the necessary policy update. I’m grateful for the opportunity that this new System-wide ban presents to revisit our campus’s existing policy and to reiterate the values behind it. Questions about the policy may be directed to our campus Risk & Compliance Coordinator Rita Arredondo at 784-2028 or rita.arredondo@tamusa.edu.

Thank you all for your continued compliance with our Smoke-Free Campus Policy and, as always, thank you for the wonderful work that you do on behalf of our students.

Warm regards,

Cynthia Teniente-Matson