May 2018 Spotlight: Anchorage’s “University-Medical District” Celebrates Their Smokefree and Tobacco-Free Policies on Kick Butts Day

2018 Breath Easy banner for the Anchorage U-Med district celebrating Smoke and Tobacco-Free campuses

On March 21, 2018, with promotional sail banners flying and sidewalk signs stoutly declaring the day’s event, Anchorage’s University Medical District (U-Med District) celebrated the nationally-recognized Kick Butts Day by highlighting their Smokefree and Tobacco-Free Campuses. The district includes:

Alaska Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC)
Southcentral Foundation
Providence Alaska Medical Center
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and
Alaska Pacific University (APU)

Their campus policies affect thousands of Alaska residents who work and frequent this area. Each of these organizations have successfully implemented smokefree and tobacco-free campus policies to encourage healthier workplaces and promote a smokefree and tobacco-free Alaska.

"The tobacco-free campus policy plays a critical role in the wellness of our staff and patients"

– Dr. Tina Woods, Senior Director of Community Health Services for ANTHC

“The tobacco-free campus policy plays a critical role in the wellness of our staff and patients”, said Dr. Tina Woods, Senior Director of Community Health Services for ANTHC. “When policies such as these are put in place, evidence indicates that current tobacco users are more likely to quit. ANTHC and the Alaska Native Health campus are proud to be one of the major smokefree and tobacco-free organizations in Alaska.”

On Kick Butts Day, interactive and educational events were held at UAA, ANTHC and APU, and Southcentral Foundation held an event the week prior. These organizations will also be hosting a variety of coming activities to celebrate tobacco-free lifestyles, including the most recent American Heart Run. One of the largest 5K races in Alaska, this fund-raising race for the American Heart Association begins and ends in the district and is known as one the first races of the summer running season for Alaskans.

Kick Butts, Day, which began in 1996, is an opportunity for youth to send the message to Big Tobacco that they will not become another statistic and that they do not intend to be the replacement smokers for those in the older generation who die from their tobacco use.

For more information on the initiative, visit Kick Butts Day.

To find out how your organization can adopt a model tobacco-free campus, visit Tobacco-Free Alaska.