While a new tobacco-free policy is set to take effect in fall 2015, Sacramento State faces challenges in the early planning and development of a comprehensive policy.

Director of Presidential Communications John Kepley said President Alexander Gonzalez realized the enormous impact a tobacco-free campus would present for the university’s administration and community, and decided not to implement the policy until then.

“There are a lot of challenges to implementing something like this,” Kepley said. “It’s a big change for the campus because there’s a lot of people that we need to communicate with and we need to figure out how its going to work out best.”

The major problems faced by administrators structuring the policy include informing students about the new guidelines and creating an enforcement plan.  

Kim Nava, director of News Services, said the university wants to make sure faculty, students and staff are well- informed about all the changes.  

The university has not yet decided how the policy will be enforced but wants to ensure the implementation works for the campus-community, Kepley said.

Luis Kischmischin, program manager of Hornets for a Healthy Hive said the organization will help the university by extensively informing students about the new guidelines once the policy is implemented in 2015.

“We will be continuing our efforts with Hornet for a Healthy Hive, through our public relations program,” Kischmischin said. “Informing our students through social media, tabling and help the university as they transition 100 percent.”

Under the new policy all types of smoking could be banned, including smoke-free devices such as e-cigarettes.

Kepley said although an official decision has not been made on e-cigarettes, the university will likely ban them.

Health risks related to the smoking of e-cigarettes is currently under debate, given the limited research on the subject.

Luis Kischmischin said Hornet for a Healthy Hive supports the banning of e-cigarettes as part of the tobacco-free campus policy.

“E-cigs are going to be one of the things that are going to be wiped out with tobacco, because there is not enough research from the FDA to show they are safe,” Kischmischin said.

By banning e-cigarettes and chewable tobacco, the tobacco-free policy would remain fair to all users, Kischmischin said.

“It is sometimes difficult (for enforcement) to tell, if that (which is being smoked) is a cigarette or an e-cigarette, Kepley said.

Community Service Officer Cindy Her said although she has never seen students utilize e-cigarettes on campus, she would be able to distinguish between the two.

“It could be taken apart, and there should be a little bit (of) light on the e-cigarette and that tells you its difference from the regular cigarette where it actually burns, and that’s the difference I can tell,” Her said.

The university invites students needing help with quitting smoking to join tobacco succession programs at the Well.