Smoking & Tobacco Use/Sale Policy

Custodian of Policy: VP Finance & Administration

Relevant Policy: Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (MCIAA)

Effective Date: January 2008

Last Review: Spring 2025

Next Review: Spring 2032

Rationale and Scope

Minnesota State University Moorhead is committed to creating a clean, safe, and healthy living, learning, and working environment for all students, employees, and guests in all University facilities and any other property controlled by the University, including state-owned, leased, or rented vehicles.

Definitions

• "Smoking" means inhaling or exhaling smoke or vapor from any lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, or any other device, including vape pens. Smoking also includes carrying a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other device intended for inhaling tobacco, nicotine, cannabis products or derivatives, or other substances.
• "Smokeless Tobacco Products consist of the use of snuff, chewing tobacco, smokeless pouches, or other forms of loose leaf tobacco.
• "Vape Pens" also known as e-cigarettes or e-vaporizers, are battery-operated devices that are used to inhale an aerosol containing nicotine, flavorings, cannabis, or other chemicals.
• "Indoor Area" means all space between a floor and a ceiling that is bounded by walls, doorways, or windows, whether open or closed, covering more than 50 percent of the combined surface area of the vertical planes [wall space] constituting the perimeter of the area. A wall includes any retractable divider, garage door, or other physical barrier, whether temporary or permanent. A standard window screen is not a wall.

Policy

Smoking, tobacco use, and tobacco sales (including the use or sale of smokeless tobacco products or vape pens) are prohibited in University facilities, University grounds, or on any other property controlled by the University, including state-owned, leased, or rented vehicles. Smoking or tobacco use is prohibited within twenty (20) feet of any entrance, exit, or operable window of University facilities or of any other property controlled by the University.

Policy Exceptions

Burning herbs and/or resin in accordance with the university’s “Smudging and Pipe Ceremony” policy is exempt from this policy. Further exceptions for instructional, research, educational, cultural, ceremonial and/or artistic purposes must be approved in advance by the MSUM Director of Public Safety or designee prior to its actual use. Such use should be preceded by reasonable advance notice to the public.

Policy Enforcement

Enforcement of this policy will depend upon the cooperation and encouragement from faculty, staff and students.

In the case of a violation, the person will be informed of the Smoking and Tobacco Use/Sale Policy. If the person continues to violate the policy, the aggrieved party should contact MSUM Public Safety who will notify the MSUM Office of Student Conduct & Resolution if the violator is a student and the MSUM Human Resources Office if the violator is a University employee.