This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, visitors, and contractors.

Copious signage will be placed around campus alerting the community of the ban.

There is no “right to smoke” under state or federal law. The University has the authority to govern the use of University property and regulate its use.

The policy is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Currently, smoking and e-cigarettes are not permitted in the residence halls. This ban also prohibits smokeless tobacco.

The ban includes every building, outside space, parking lot, and laboratory on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus. This also applies to university-owned or leased vehicles at all times. The boundaries include any property owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled by TAMUK.

The guiding principle of enforcement will be respect for all.  The Javelina community is asked to help create a tobacco-free environment using community education. Community education relies on individuals to inform one another about the policy and ask that individuals support the University’s intent to promote good health for all.  

Students and employees are required to abide by all University policies in their day-to-day activities.  If a student violates the no tobacco policy on campus, they may face disciplinary action through the Dean of Students Office. If a faculty, staff member, or contractor violates the policy, their department supervisor or Human Resources should be contacted.  If a visitor frequently violates the policy, they may be asked to leave campus by an appropriate University official.

It is possible that a person using tobacco on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus is unaware of the new ban. If you see someone using tobacco on campus, kindly inform him/her that the University has prohibited the use of tobacco products on campus and ask him or her to extinguish or discard the tobacco, if you are comfortable doing so. Discussions about the policy should be brief, educational, and non-confrontational.

Students are eligible for free counseling services through the Health and Wellness Center.

Employees with health coverage through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas are eligible to receive free tobacco cessation medications through their prescription drug benefit. Such products and medications include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products such as gum, patches, inhalers, nasal spray and lozenges, as well as the prescription medications Bupropion (Zyban or Wellbutrin) and Varenicline (Chantix).

Exceptions to the policy may be approved at the President’s discretion for specific campus locations and activities when deemed necessary to meet the University’s goals and objectives.