Beginning January 2012, Emory will join the more than 450 colleges and universities nationwide that are 100% smoke-free.

The new tobacco-free campus policy is based on the recommendations of a task force created by Emory President James Wagner last spring. Faculty, staff, and student groups have endorsed this policy, along with Emory leaders, including James Curran, dean of the RSPH, and Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Emory Global Health Institute.

In a message on Emory’s YouTube channel, Curran advocates education to prevent tobacco use, cessation programs, and policies that are fair to smokers but also effective in reducing health risks in the community and society.