Frequently Asked Questions

The University is committed to the health and well-being of everyone on campus. The smoke and tobacco free policy was adopted based on the wealth of research documenting the health risks associated with tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, the assessments of regional and national trends, and input from the campus community. 

Specific benefits to our community include:

• It allows the nonsmoking majority of the campus to breathe fresh air without exposure to the carcinogens in secondhand smoke.
• It provides a supportive environment for the many smokers who are trying to quit smoking.
• It dramatically reduces the number one groundskeeping and cleanup expense for the University.
• It reduces absenteeism and health care costs.

The tobacco free campus policy is an administrative policy, not a law. Creating a culture of compliance on campus is a shared responsibility. We encourage all students, staff, faculty, and visitors to promote compliance with the policy. Read more about promoting compliance.

If repeated requests for compliance are ignored, individuals not complying with the policy and/or areas on campus with frequent policy violations can be reported to the Share the Air team.

For the purpose of the policy, all forms of tobacco and products that include tobacco-derived nicotine are considered tobacco products. This includes cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, hookah, IQOS and other heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes/nicotine vapes, and nicotine pouches. This definition excludes any tobacco product that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a tobacco cessation product or for other medical purposes. For a complete definition, see the Tobacco Free Campus policy.

Vaping delivers high amounts of tobacco-derived nicotine to the user—more than two times the amount approved by the FDA for smoking cessation aids. Little is known about the long-term health effects of vaping and secondhand vape exposure, but many ingredients are known to cause lung and cardiac inflammation, cancer, and cell damage.

Studies consistently show that smoke-free campus policies decrease smoking prevalence among students, decrease the number of cigarettes used by those who continue to smoke, decrease students’ acceptance of peer smoking, change social norms around tobacco use, and increase favorable attitudes towards regulation of tobacco.

In 2009, the American College Health Association adopted a no tobacco use policy and encourages and supports colleges and universities to achieve a 100% indoor and outdoor campus-wide tobacco-free environment. According to the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation, more than 2,500 campuses across the United States have adopted such policies.

The tobacco-free campus policy covers all property, buildings, and facilities under the primary control of the University of Minnesota through ownership, lease, or other means. Because the boundaries of the Twin Cities campus are harder to discern within the urban setting, please use the following interactive map for guidance, using the 'bookmark' feature to select the "Twin Cities Campus - Minneapolis" or "Twin Cities Campus - St. Paul."

Twin Cities Campus Maps

Cannabis use on campus is addressed by the Drug-Free University Policy. This policy prohibits the illegal possession, use, or distribution of alcohol, drugs, and drug paraphernalia on campus and as part of University activities and business. It’s important to know that even though recreational cannabis use became legal in Minnesota on Aug. 1, 2023, the University is required to follow federal cannabis laws. This means it is still illegal to possess, use, distribute, or grow cannabis on campus.