The first phase of UF's campus-wide tobacco ban will go into effect Sunday at UF's Health Science Center and all Shands at UF facilities.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium went smoke-free in September, and the rest of the campus will follow suit on July 1.
In preparation for the Nov. 1 phase of the ban, UF and Shands have been putting up posters detailing the new policy and removing ashtrays in affected buildings.
They've also been letting employees and patients know about ways to quit smoking, like free counseling sessions and free or discounted medications.
People don't seem to be rushing to the free sessions, however.
Kim Rose, a Shands at UF spokeswoman, said she hasn't seen an uptick in enrollment and Roger Keroack, who runs the sessions for employees and their spouses at UF, said attendance has been dismal.
UF can counsel about 45 people a semester, but a combined 20 people have either taken the class already or signed up for the semester's last one - which started this week - even though UF allows employees to participate during the workday without using leave time.
Keroack said more people might sign up when the campus-wide ban gets a little closer.
"Maybe in May people will get serious about it," he said. "Who knows?"
