The University of South Carolina Beaufort is a tobacco-free campus as of January 1, 2015. It is up to everyone to help spread awareness and make this policy successful. If you encounter someone using tobacco on campus, you might find the tips in the following acronym helpful in approaching that person.
S – “Smile” Introduce yourself.
M – “Make” the assumption that the person doesn’t know the policy.
O – “Offer” resources for tobacco cessation.
K – “Kindly” remind the person of the tobacco-free policy.
E – “Enforce” the policy: ask the person to stop using the tobacco on campus.
Making sure the same language is being used with faculty, staff, students, contractors and visitors about the policy ensures a firm, polite, and compassionate message.
The following scripts provide useful examples on how to address someone using tobacco on campus.
Cigarette/Cigar Use Script
“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a(n) [position/student] here at USCB. Are you are aware that we don’t allow the use of tobacco products of any kind on campus? Please respect our policy and put your cigarette (or cigar) out and dispose of it in a trash can. I also wanted to let you know that we have nicotine replacement available in the Shark’s Cove Bookstore to help you manage your cravings. I really appreciate your willingness to help us keep our campus tobacco-free.”
Smokeless Tobacco Use Script
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a(n) [position/student] here at USCB. Are you aware that we don’t allow the use of tobacco products of any kind on campus? Sometimes people don’t realize that our policy includes smokeless tobacco. Please respect our policy and dispose of it in a trash can. We do have nicotine replacement in the Shark’s Cove Bookstore to help you manage your cravings. I really appreciate your willingness to help us keep our campus tobacco free.”
Electronic Cigarette Use Script*
“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a(n) [position/student] here at USCB. Are you aware that we don’t allow the use of tobacco products of any kind on campus? Sometimes people don’t realize that our policy includes electronic cigarettes. Please respect our policy and put out your electronic cigarette. I really appreciate your willingness to help us keep our campus tobacco free.”
*If a person wants to argue about e-cigs please point them to the http://uscb.edu/tobaccofree website that gives the background on why e-cigs are included.