Student Affairs’ Health Promotion and Wellness unit and the University Park Undergraduate Association are teaming up for a new program, Tobacco-Free Campus Ambassadors.

Penn State officially became a tobacco-free campus this semester, prohibiting smoking and tobacco use on all locations considered university property. Because the policy doesn’t have the most clear-cut or effective enforcement strategies, the new program hopes to employ students to help educate their peers.

“We’re working with Health Promotion and Wellness to get ambassadors implemented, probably 15 students…and they’ll go around and reinforce the policy that we are a tobacco-free campus,” UPUA Vice President Laura McKinney said. “On our awareness day on December 6, we’ll have more information on that.”

Student ambassadors will be responsible for approaching people using tobacco products to remind them of the new policy, cleaning up tobacco litter around campus, and providing promotional items and resources about the new policy and how students can quit smoking. They’ll be asked to commit between one and three volunteer hours each week.

To get them started, ambassadors will attend a training session to learn about the health impacts of tobacco use and secondhand smoke, statistics about tobacco use among Penn State students, and smoking cessation and general wellness resources.

Applications to become a Tobacco-Free Campus Ambassador are due Friday, November 30 and should be submitted online.