MOUNT GREENWOOD — Saint Xavier University will be smoke- and tobacco-free as of Jan. 1.
The announcement came as part of the American Cancer Society and CVS Health Foundation's Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative. The $3.6 million effort aims to create smoke- and tobacco-free campuses nationwide.
Mount Greenwood-based Saint Xavier is among the first 20 campuses to sign on to participate in the program, according to a news release. The south suburban Orland Park satellite campus will also be included in the mandate, said Christine Wiseman, the university's president.
"It is especially exciting to consider the impact of this grant and its underlying tobacco-free initiatives on the young people in our campus community," Wiseman said in a written statement.
"We have enlisted a variety of constituencies in this effort, aimed not only at extending the life expectancies of those who are determined to quit, but improving the health outcomes for those who will never begin this morbid habit,” Wiseman said.
About one in six Illinois residents older than 18 are regular smokers, and nearly all of them started by age 26, according to the American Cancer Society.
“The Chicago area is already home to 41 smoke-free college campuses, and we look forward to more joining the cause to ensure students, faculty and staff can improve their minds and their health,” said Dr. Julie Morita, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
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