Policies & Contracts

603 - Smoking/NonSmoking

Subject: Smoking/NonSmoking

Section: U603

Date: June, 2013

Purpose:

To comply with the 2005 Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance which protects the health of faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Policy:

Smoking is prohibited in all University buildings in accordance with the City of Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance 7-32-010.

Guidelines:

  1. This policy covers the smoking of all tobacco, nicotine and other products, and includes cigars, cigarettes, "smokeless" cigarettes and other such delivery systems. “Smoke” or “smoking” means the carrying, smoking, burning, inhaling, or exhaling of any kind of lighted pipe, cigar, cigarette, hookah, herbs, marijuana, electronic cigarette, or any lighted smoking equipment. This language,except for marijuana, is taken directly from CBC 7-32-015. “Smokeless” means chewing tobacco.
  2. Smoking is permitted outdoors at least 15 feet away from the entrance, windows, air intake vents, or enclosed area of any building including dormitories and residential properties.
  3. The use of smoking material is strictly prohibited in University-owned vehicles or near hazardous materials located throughout campus.
  4. The proper disposal of smoking and smokeless tobacco material is the responsibility of the smoker/tobacco end user and shall be discarded of in approved containers designed for collection of smoking material. No person shall cast, throw, or deposit any litter, as defined in Section 10-8-480 of the Chicago Municipal Code.
  5. Any person who smokes within a University building or outdoors less than 15 feet away from the entrance, windows, air intake vents, or enclosure is subject to a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500 as set forth in the City Ordinance. It should be noted that the University, as building owner, can also be subject to the same City fine, or a greater amount, for repeated infractions.
  6. Smoking complaints under the University policy are to be submitted to the University's Environmental Health and Safety office at 773-702-9999. This office will assign a specialist to investigate and evaluate the complaint and route the complaint along with the findings to the administrative officer or academic dean of the unit against which the complaint is lodged. It is the responsibility of the appropriate administrative officer or academic dean to ensure that this policy is observed.
  7. Enforcement of non-smoking areas in all buildings shall be in accordance with the City of Chicago Building Code and the City of Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, which allows an employee to designate his or her own work area as a non-smoking area.
  8. Any employee who violates this policy will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

EXCEPTIONS:

  1. Apartments in buildings managed by Real Estate Operations (REO). However, smoking is prohibited in public spaces of apartment buildings.
  2. Smoking will be prohibited within 25 feet of any entrances to all LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings, which may be found on the Facilities Services website at https://facilities.uchicago.edu/services/space-data/leed_buildings_on_campus/. This prohibition is necessary to meet and maintain the LEED standards of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This exception will apply to any University building that pursues LEED certification. Buildings which receive LEED certification shall display the 25 feet requirement through modification of the current signage. Building managers are required to complete a Signage Request Form to update or replace missing signs at https://facilities.uchicago.edu/services/space-data/ and submit the form to fssignage-request@uchicago.edu.

* University employees located in the Medical Center shall be subject to the provisions of the University of Chicago Hospitals’ smoking/nonsmoking policy.

 

Employees represented by a union may be governed by the appropriate bargaining unit agreement.