URI receives grant to ban smoking and tobacco use on campus

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The University of Rhode Island has received a grant to help it become a smoke and tobacco-free campus.

The university received a $20,000 grant from the American Cancer Society and CVS Health Foundation to develop policies to prohibit smoking and tobacco use.

The American Cancer Society’s “Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative” is funded by the foundation to accelerate and expand the number of smoke and tobacco-free campuses nationwide.

URI plans to survey students, faculty and staff to see if they’re ready to adopt the change.

School officials say they want a campus policy that reflects shared values and creates a healthier and greener university.

Johnson & Wales University became the first college or university in Rhode Island to adopt a campus-wide, tobacco-free policy last year. Others have tobacco-free areas.