Texas A&M System bans vaping on campus
Lifestyle // Health
Todd Ackerman Oct. 1, 2019 Updated: Oct. 4, 2019 11:39 a.m.
New Element Fine Vapors employee Melissa Torres, right, vapes with Nate Pingor, left, and owner Daniel Adell in the shop Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, in Houston.
Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff / Houston Chronicle
Concerned about health risks that have caused more than 800 cases of lung injury and 12 deaths, the Texas A&M University System is banning e-cigarette use on its campuses.
"I do not want to take any unnecessary chances with the health of our students, faculty and staff," Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp wrote in a memo circulated Tuesday.
Sharp said he has directed the presidents of each of the system's 11 universities and directors of each of its eight state agencies to prohibit vaping as soon as possible.
"Smoking is banned in most places in the system already," he wrote. "But the ban on vaping is to be mandatory and expanded to every inch of the Texas A&M System."
Sharp's memo added that "the health threat is serious enough" that he wants the ban to include "every building, outside space, parking lot, garage and laboratory within the Texas A&M System."
He said he'd like to see the ban in place immediately, but given the practicalities of running major institutions, he's asking it be implemented as soon as it's practical.
Sharp also wrote that it would be appropriate and responsible to stop selling any e-cigarette products or vaping paraphernalia if there are any points of sale at any place within the system.
A&M-San Antonio's policy will change to include specific mention of "vaping," President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said in an email to employees Wednesday.
The existing policy prohibits smoking and tobacco use, including electronic cigarettes, but does not specifically address vaping.
Students at A&M San Antonio on Thursday said the ban hasn't drummed up much chatter there, but they also don't believe vaping is all that popular among their generally older student population.
The still-new university on the city's Southside is still very much a commuter school. Students' average age is 29 and the majority attend part-time, having transferred from community colleges.
"We rarely see anyone vaping on campus," said Martin Calderon, a senior and vice president of the Student Government Association.
Such retailers as Walmart and H-E-B have stopped selling vaping products.
A vaping-related lung illness has emerged as a significant public health threat in recent months. The nation's 805 cases of severe lung disease include 75 in Texas and six in Houston and Harris County.
The outbreak has disproportionately affected children and teens, occasioning a flurry of legislative measures to curb the industry and even an announcement by President Donald Trump that he intends to ban the products.
The University of Houston and University of Texas systems already have anti-smoking policies that include vaping.
Staff Writer Krista Torralva contributed to this report. todd.ackerman@chron.com
Todd Ackerman
Todd Ackerman is a veteran reporter who has covered medicine for the Houston Chronicle since 2001. A graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, he previously worked for the Raleigh News & Observer, the National Catholic Register, the Los Angeles Downtown News and the San Clemente Sun-Post.
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