A smoke-free campus

Improving health and maintaining a healing environment has always been the top priority for UC Davis Health System, and it's the key reason why we established a completely smoke-free environment at our Sacramento campus.

Smoking is prohibited in all outdoor areas, including parking areas and sidewalks, surrounding the Medical Center and other health system buildings on the Sacramento campus.

Any tobacco smoke — including second-hand smoke — carries a health hazard for which there is no risk-free level of exposure. Although UC Davis Health System has a long-standing no-smoking policy in and near our buildings, taking this extra step provides our employees, patients, visitors, volunteers and students with the extra protection they deserve.

UC Davis researchers are also helping us understand more about the negative health effects of tobacco use. One prominent focus area is how smoking-related illnesses affect different populations. We also teamed with UC San Francisco last year to document for the first time how the tobacco industry funded and used scientific studies to undermine evidence linking secondhand smoke to cardiovascular disease. Together our researchers combed through nearly 50 million pages of previously secret, internal tobacco-industry documents for the study.

There is significant support available to those trying to quit smoking. UC Davis Health System offers a variety of smoking-cessation opportunities, and we've enhanced our programs in conjunction with the non-profit California Tobacco Control Alliance so that our employees and patients have additional help as we go completely smoke-free.

UC Davis resources

• Smoke-free campus map (PDF). As a courtesy to our neighbors, please do not smoke in residential or commercial areas around the campus. Thanks for your cooperation and respect!
  
  
• Patients and visitors have access to free nicotine-replacement options at the Medical Center gift shop, the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center and the UC Davis Cancer Center.
  
  
• Tips to stop smoking from UC Davis specialists.
  
  
• UC Davis Health System stop smoking classes are available to UC Davis patients and community members through our Wellness Center, and to patients through the Chronic Disease Management program.
  
  
• Profile: Suzanne McInish is smoke-free after 30 years with medical cessation.
  
  

General resources

• Call the California Smokers' Helpline at (800) NO-BUTTS. Available en Español and several other languages and dialects, and TDD/TYY.
  
  
• Read the American Cancer Society Guide to Quitting Smoking. 
  
  
• Visit the American Lung Association Quit Smoking page.
  
  
• Ask for Breathe California cessation resources at (916) 444-5900 or email staff@sacbreathe.org.
  
  
• Visit the National Cancer Institute Smoking and Cancer page.