Smoke-free: U of R gets rid of smoking areas

People looking to light up a cigarette at the University of Regina will have to leave the campus in order to do so.

The U of R announced the school will be 100 per cent smoke-free beginning Aug. 1.

Darren Cherwaty, director of health, safety and wellness at the U of R, said they began working towards a smoke-free campus back in 2016.

In 2017, the University moved from 19 smoking areas down to three.

“This is certainly moving forward with our commitment from last year,” Cherwaty said.

There will be exemptions made for Indigenous cultural practices and research purposes.

“Depending on what the activity is that’s being done, the provisions of our smudging and pipe ceremony policy would apply,” Cherwaty said.

The University has been working with the Canadian Cancer Society as they worked towards becoming smoke-free.

Cherwaty said a presentation was done by the cancer society that highlighted the statistics of cancer and smoking.

“That information helped inform not only going in July from 19 to three designated smoking areas but again to our commitment to the path described last year of becoming a smoke-free institution.”

The ban will also include marijuana and vaping.