UAA is a smoke and tobacco-free campus

As the summer continues and we enjoy spending time outdoors in Alaska, we want to remind everyone that UAA is a smoke and tobacco-free campus. UAA has been a smoke and tobacco-free campus since 2015, following a Board of Regents vote to institute this policy on all University of Alaska campuses.

The smoke and tobacco-free policy is about respect for others and our campus environment. Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

In addition to the health concerns associated with smoking and tobacco use, cigarette trash poses a number of safety concerns, most prominently the potential for starting wildfires. Just recently, while it's unclear how it started, a wildfire broke out only a few blocks from the Anchorage campus and put our entire campus and the surrounding community at risk. Separately, we have had two small fires occur on campus in recent weeks that were directly linked to the improper disposal of cigarettes. Had these fires not been kept under control by our facilities staff, they could have caused serious damage to the campus. Fire danger in Anchorage is currently very high.

While smoking in a private vehicle outside of parking garages is allowed, please NEVER throw cigarette trash out of vehicles or on the ground on or near campus, even in areas off campus where smoking is prohibited. This is considered littering no matter where you are in Anchorage and can result in serious fines. Disposing of cigarette trash properly helps keep our campus, the UMED district and our community clean and safe from wildfires.

Thank you for doing your part to make our community a better place to live, work, learn and play.

Ryan Buchholdt
Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services

July Archive