UNB: Signaling Towards a Smoke-Free Campus

By Joel Rumson 

Smoking on UNB Campus has gone up in smoke, but why? Where once UNB smokers stood puffing their stresses away, now are nowhere to be seen, and, more stressed than ever. 

With New Brunswick having some of the highest rates of youth smoking in the country, about 41% of students grades seven to 12 have tried e-cigarettes, according to a 2019 study on tobacco, alcohol and drugs among students. UNB aims to transition away from this statistic in a more positive direction. 

As UNB is ever so deeply committed to the health and well-being of the students, staff and faculty, they decided that effective September 1st, 2022, UNB Fredericton, UNB Saint John, and UNB’s nursing location in Moncton would all become smoke-free. 

This smoke-free decision came far before the day of reckoning on September 1st, 2022. In 2017 a bi-campus smoking policy review was undergoing, aiming to gather input from members of the UNB community as to what direction UNB should take regarding smoking on campus. The committee began their efforts to halt smoking on campus earlier on Sept 1st,  2020 with the creation of designated smoking areas specifically for those who smoked. This seemed to be nothing but a nefarious tease for the smokers of UNB, as the designated areas soon were taken away, exactly two years later.

According to the UNB Smoking Policy, it aims to enable the overall health and well-being of all members of the University Community. 

Rod Cunningham, with the Canadian Cancer Society, commented on UNB’s goal towards a smoke-free campus saying “Dalhousie did it, essentially the first, in 2003. But we’ve seen many other universities and colleges in the Atlantic region that have done this as well. Whether it’s UPEI, Memorial, Acadia or Saint Mary’s. It’s a very positive step for UNB.”

The Associate vice-president of UNBSJ, Laurelle LeVert, said the move follows much research and consultation… “We know and we acknowledge that tobacco smoke continues to be considered a major contributing factor in the development of many serious health problems and also exposure to second-hand smoke poses a significant health hazard to non-smokers,”. 

UNB’s no smoking policy’s enactment serves to:

1. Confirm UNB’s commitment to a healthy and safe environment
2. Diminish exposure to smoking and promote health and safety by making all UNB campuses smoke free as of September 1, 2022
3. Support reduction and cessation of smoking through education, culture change and increased access to resources and support such as counseling and medication
4. Acknowledge that some traditional spiritual or cultural ceremonies involve the use of ceremonial tobacco and respect such traditions 
5. Increase awareness about the detrimental impact smoking has on health and well-being
6. Establish the responsibility of roles, as outlined in this Policy, who are in a position to make or influence decisions at UNB to comply with and enforce the policy. 

This applies to all Members of the University Community. According to the UNB, community members include, but are not limited to: students (graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education), staff, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, adjunct professors, visiting professors, sessional faculty, teaching assistants, clinical faculty, librarians, medical residents, volunteers, visitors, observers, contractors, and institutional administrators and officials representing UNB.

With smoking off-limits for everyone from the student to the institutional administrators, it may leave one wondering… “How do they plan on enforcing it?”

The University property is private, meaning that it has full jurisdiction to regulate vehicular and pedestrian traffic, which has been approved by the Board of Governors. 

The enforcement of particular regulations is the responsibility of the UNB Security and Traffic Department. Where they have full jurisdiction to regulate the flow of traffic, stop motor vehicles suspected of violations of regulations, to require the production of a driver’s license, vehicle permit, or proof of insurance. 

UNB Security takes all other reasonable and necessary measures to enforce these regulations. Oddly, in Moncton, the Nursing campus, the Dean of Nursing assigns staff for the purposes of issuance of violations relating to regulations towards the Moncton site. 

According to the UNB disciplinary process document (SDC), a student charged with an offense under the SDC has the right to be represented by counsel or other person acting as the student’s agent and is also entitled to receive the assistance of the Director of Student Affairs and Services or designate and the Student Advocate (UNBF). 

In the event that one may decide to have a puff on campus, they would find themselves fined under the SDC. The fine is expressed as a percentage of the current regular tuition fee for a full-time undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts. In the case of smoking on campus, at the worst, it would be a fine in the form of 6% of the current regular tuition fee for a full-time undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts. 

With the tuition of an arts student being $5729, 6% of that is $343.74!

What resources are available for those who need help quitting?

With all this talk about quitting, the lone and now alienated smoker sits solemnly, wondering how in the world will he ever quit. Well, UNB is offering a number of services for those aiming to quit, or at least for those trying to avoid the 343$ fine. 

The first resource made available to UNB is the Fredericton Student Health Services which is dedicated to helping the student community. They can be contacted at (506) 453-4837.

“It will be kind of nice, it will make for a much greener place, much fresher air,” said one third-year student regarding the cessation of smoking on campus. “But some are going to have trouble just quitting. It will be difficult for them.”

The phone lines are regularly busy, and they do not book appointments through email but students are encouraged to visit the Student Health Center (SHC) in person at C.C. Jones Student Services Center, 3rd floor, 26 Bailey Drive, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, NB Canada, E3B 5A3. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, but the center closes at 11:30 pm-1:15 pm temporarily for a lunch break. 

Other services include but are not limited to, Dietitian Services (no cost, no referral needed), Counseling Services, Smoking cessation aids, alongside many other documents.

Overall, one could say it is a positive step towards a healthier student body within UNB Fredericton, but it does certainly come with some discomfort. Even with all the many methods and resources available for students and staff to quit, there still stands a void that is yet to be resolved, filled with questions and confusion regarding the inclusivity and accessibility of smokers on campus. 

Many question whether this worsens the already negative outlook on those with smoking addictions and whether it is beneficial towards UNB, or simply a division between the student body driven by the negative connotations with smoking and vaping.