© 2024 88.9 KETR
Public Radio for Northeast Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A&M Chancellor Calls for Vaping Ban Across Full System

The latest findings by the CDC indicate that 805 confirmed and probable patient cases of lung injury, as well as 12 deaths across 10 states, were associated with e-cigarette product use in the United States, as of Sept. 24.
NPR
/
NPR
The latest findings by the CDC indicate that 805 confirmed and probable patient cases of lung injury, as well as 12 deaths across 10 states, were associated with e-cigarette product use in the United States, as of Sept. 24.

On Tuesday, the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System issued a memorandum that called for the banning of smoking E-cigarettes, also known as “vaping” on all system campuses.

In his statement, Chancellor John Sharp indicated that he wanted the directors of the eight state agencies and the presidents of the 11 member institutes within the system to institute a ban “as soon as possible.

The findings by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control of medical issues caused by vaping is detailed in the memorandum. The latest findings by the CDC indicate that 805 confirmed and probable patient cases of lung injury, as well as 12 deaths across 10 states, were associated with e-cigarette product use in the United States, as of Sept. 24.

However according to multiple studies, consumers indicated that vaping is widely considered to be safer than smoking traditional tobacco products. On the CDC website, tobacco is listed as causing 7 million deaths annually.

"I do not want to take any unnecessary chances with the health of our students, faculty and staff," Sharp said. "To that end, I am directing the presidents of each of the 11 universities and the directors of the eight state agencies within the Texas A&M University System to ban the use of e-cigarettes and vaping as soon as possible."

Sharp also stated the ban on vaping "is to be mandatory and expanded to every inch of the Texas A&M System." He goes on to thank Texas A&M University President Michael Young for the "inspiration for this important ban."

It is currently unknown what the plans to implement the ban at the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus are.

The full memorandum can be viewed here.

Related Content