Tobacco.org

• Fallin's executive order douses OU's designated smoking areas 

Gov. Mary Fallin signed an executive order placing a ban on tobacco use on all state-owned and state-leased property, she announced during Monday's State of the State address. The ban supersedes OU's policy that was approved last month. (Marcin Rutowski/The Daily)

Fallin's order bans use of all tobacco products on “all properties owned, leased or contracted” by the State of Oklahoma, according to the executive order. OU will submit a tobacco policy to the OU Board of Regents that is in line with Fallin's decision, OU spokeswoman Catherine Bishop said in an email.

This means the university will be unable to provide the designated smoking areas that were approved in January by the regents because Fallin's order will not allow tobacco use anywhere on state-owned or state-leased property. The designated smoking areas were going to be placed at Lloyd Noble Center and part of the Dale Hall parking lot, according to the university's new tobacco ban policy.

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Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signs order to ban tobacco use on state property 

Oklahoma couples making up to $30,000 a year would pay no state personal income taxes and the top rate would be cut by nearly half, according to Gov. Mary...

The announcement drew applause, but groans were heard seconds later in the House of Representatives chamber when she announced the ban would mean the closing of a smoking room in the state Capitol for lawmakers and employees.

“You're going to like this one, too,” she joked as she announced the smoking room, in the Capitol's basement, would be remodeled — at no expense to the state — into a small fitness center. The state is seeking a grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and the Oklahoma Hospital Association has agreed to match it, Fallin said.

The governor announced she had signed the tobacco ban during her State of the State speech to lawmakers, which kicks off this year's four-month legislative session. She said its purpose is to protect the health of employees and people visiting state-owned properties.

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• Put those out: Oklahoma Gov. Fallin bans tobacco use on all state property 

Tobacco products at all state-owned and leased properties and in state-owned and leased buildings and vehicles will be banned effective July 1 under an executive order signed Monday by Gov. Mary Fallin.

The announcement drew applause, but groans were heard seconds later in the House of Representatives chamber when she announced the ban would mean the closing of a smoking room in the state Capitol for lawmakers and employees.

“You're going to like this one, too,” she joked as she announced the smoking room, in the Capitol's basement, would be remodeled — at no expense to the state — into a small fitness center. The state is seeking a grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and the Oklahoma Hospital Association has agreed to match it, Fallin said.

The governor announced she had signed the tobacco ban during her State of the State speech to lawmakers, which kicks off this year's four-month legislative session. She said its purpose is to protect the health of employees and people visiting state-owned properties.

The ban also is intended to drive down one of the major factors of increasing health care costs for state employees

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North Rock Creek becomes a tobacco-free campus 

North Rock Creek Public School (NRC) joins a family of tobacco-free campuses after adopting a 24/7 tobacco-free school policy Jan. 9, 2012. Effective the first day of the 2012-2013 school year, tobacco in any form will not be used by anyone, anywhere, anytime on school campus. The policy covers all school events after school hours, including outdoor events—24 hours a day, seven days a week. The NRC School Board recognizes the importance of adult role modeling to students and is dedicated to providing a healthy environment for staff, students and visitors.

“I believe it is important to set a good example for our young, sometimes impressionable, students,” said North Rock Creek Superintendent Blake Moody. “By fostering a community buy-in for the program, we might have a bigger impact to keep students from using tobacco. If only a single student is prevented from starting tobacco-use, the program will be successful.”

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How we pay the price for tobacco use 

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has proclaimed Jan. 29 through Feb. 4 as Tobacco-Free Oklahoma Week – a week highlighting the price all Oklahomans pay for tobacco use, whether they smoke or not.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Oklahoma. It costs more than 6,000 Oklahomans their lives each year and causes untold heartbreak to thousands more family members. But the cost of tobacco use doesn’t stop with the loss of life and grief.

The financial burden from tobacco use falls on every Oklahoma business and citizen. Costs of Tobacco Use On average, Oklahoma businesses lose $4,400 each year for every employee that smokes.

This economic loss is due to increased sick days and disability, higher medical and insurance costs, and shorter, less productive work-lives.

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• Fallin proclaims tobacco free week 

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has proclaimed Jan. 29 through Feb. 4 as Tobacco-Free Oklahoma Week - a week highlighting the price all Oklahomans pay for tobacco use, whether they smoke or not.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Oklahoma. It costs more than 6,000 Oklahomans their lives each year and causes untold heartbreak to thousands more family members. But the cost of tobacco use doesn't stop with the loss of life and grief. The financial burden from tobacco use falls on every Oklahoma business and citizen.

On average, Oklahoma businesses lose $4,400 each year for every employee that smokes. This economic loss is due to increased sick days and disability, higher medical and insurance costs, and shorter, less productive work-lives.

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OU Board of Regents approve new tobacco policy  

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents approved a policy banning smoking on campus — except in two designated areas — during its meeting Tuesday afternoon.

“We feel morally obligated as an educational example to help save lives in our community and our country,” OU President David Boren said. “Over 500 colleges and universities nationwide have already adopted similar policies to make their campuses tobacco-free.”

The policy will go into effect July 1 and will be enforced by fines of up to $50 for repeat offendors. As a campus policy, the smoking ban will apply to visitors and OU students, faculty and staff.

When the policy goes into effect, it will prohibit all smoking at sports venues, such as the Gaylord Family Okahoma Memorial Stadium and Lloyd Noble Center.

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University of Oklahoma to restrict smoking on campus beginning July 1  

At its Friday meeting at the OU Health Sciences Center, the OU Board of Regents approved a campus tobacco policy that will place heavy restrictions on the use of tobacco on campus. The policy takes effect July 1.

The policy bans smoking and other tobacco use nearly everywhere on the university's Norman campus, while leaving designated smoking areas in parking lots near Dale Hall and the Lloyd Noble Center. The ban includes the Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and the Lloyd Noble Center.

In the proposal, university officials say heavy attendance at football games make it nearly impossible to allow smoking in the stadium while protecting fans from secondhand smoke.

OU President David Boren said smoking in the north end of the stadium during halftime had especially become a problem.

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Regents snuff out tobacco use at OU 

The days of unrestricted tobacco use on OU’s Norman campus are officially numbered after the OU Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to implement a ban this summer.

The campuswide Tobacco-Free Policy was approved as an addition to the Regents’ Policy Manual and designated two areas on campus as acceptable smoking areas while enacting fines for repeat offenders.

The policy is set to take effect July 1.

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Smokers’ compromise 

University of Oklahoma Regents will likely go along with President David Boren’s recommendation on designating two smoking areas on the Norman campus. But the Regents’ action next week will only be meaningful if the smoking restrictions are enforced.

The two proposed designated smoking areas — the parking lots near Dale Hall and the Lloyd Noble Center — don’t have the full support of the campus tobacco policy advisory committee. President Boren indicated a total ban might push smokers to gather around Campus Corner or other near-campus locations.

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Regents to weigh tobacco policy  

The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents will meet Tuesday afternoon at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

The Regents are expected to approve Gregg Garn as the new dean of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education.

Garn is currently the college’s interim dean and has held this position since July 1.

OU President David Boren will present his recommendations for the new campus tobacco policy, based on the suggestions of his tobacco policy advisory committee. These recommendations will include the designation of on-campus smoking areas.

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EDITORIAL: Regents, vote no on smoking ban 

To the OU Board of Regents:

On Tuesday, you will consider a proposal to enact a campuswide smoking ban on the OU Norman campus. The proposed policy is deeply flawed and would create an unenforceable restriction that disregards students’ right to choose their own lifestyle. We urge you to reject the policy in its current form.

The proposal offers no means of enforcing the ban, other than the hope that those on campus will hold one another accountable. So, it is clear the main benefit of this ban would be to give members of the campus community some authority to ask those around them to stop smoking — and to add the neat “tobacco-free campus” line to OU’s promotional material.

It actually would not eliminate all campus smoking and clearly does not have the power to do so. . . .

The proposed policy would go beyond the admirable goal of protecting all students from the unwanted health risks of secondhand smoke to become a vehicle for forcing students to quit smoking. It even includes a mechanism for doing away with the two sole smoking areas after a year, if it is decided that there is no “continued need” for them.

We admire the administration’s enthusiasm in pushing to ensure some action was taken on the issue of tobacco use on campus. It was clear something needed to be done to reduce the amount of secondhand smoke students were forced to encounter on campus.

But this enthusiasm has caused administrators to rush the process of developing the ban, resulting in an imbalanced and poorly thought out policy. This proposal is unacceptable, unenforceable and does a disservice to all members of the university community.

OU can do better. We urge you to vote against this proposal and demand the administration develop a more balanced and effective plan for restricting tobacco use on campus.

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OU president recommends smoke-free campus  

University of Oklahoma President David Boren is recommending that smoking be banned on campus except in two designated areas.

Boren released his recommendations Thursday and says he'll present them to the Board of Regents at its meeting next week. Boren says he agrees with an advisory committee's recommendation to ban smoking, both indoors and outdoors. But he disagreed with the committee's recommendation to not designate any smoking areas.

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President to meet with Regents Tuesday to give recommendations on tobacco-ban 

President David Boren’s recommendations for a tobacco-free Norman campus could be accepted as early as Tuesday when he meets with the OU Board of Regents in Oklahoma City.

Among Boren’s proposed changes to the university’s tobacco policy are a campuswide ban on the use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco, the creation of two designated smoking areas and the implementation of fines for students, faculty and staff who repeatedly ignore the new policy.

Pending the Regents’ approval, the ban is set to go into effect July 1.

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2 former Creek Nation employees face conspiracy charges in tobacco-tax scheme 

A plea hearing is scheduled for later this month for two former Muscogee (Creek) Nation employees accused of bilking the government out of more than $2.5 million in cigarette taxes.

Michael Wisner II and Ed Warrington were indicted last week on conspiracy charges. Federal prosecutors accuse the two of conspiring with a tobacco wholesaler to sell cigarettes in Creek Nation smoke shops at an illegally low tax rate.

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