Dear Marietta College Community,
I am pleased to announce that smoking of any type (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping, etc.) will not be permitted on Marietta College property starting on Monday, August 17th. While the College’s Safety Steering Committee has been reviewing our policy, our senior leadership team determined that a new policy needed to go into effect now as we are requiring masks and face coverings on campus until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
Students, employees and visitors to campus who want to smoke can still do so on the city sidewalks and other public areas near campus where smoking is permitted. The College will look at relocating cigarette butt receptacles to areas on the outskirts of campus as we hope to keep the sidewalks clean.
We have been moving toward this important step for the past few years, and it allows us to join more than 2,000 campuses in the U.S. who are 100% smoke-free. This national movement is complemented by the increasing number of workplaces, recreational areas, and public facilities that are choosing to be smoke- and tobacco-free.
I applaud this bold effort, especially as the evidence of the hazards from secondhand smoke, including the impact on people with asthma, as well as the exposure to non-smokers of cancer-causing agents, is overwhelming. Issues of safety, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and campus maintenance also factor into our decision.
Bring Forth a Pioneer,
Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management