Stony Brook University will be implementing a campuswide ban on all tobacco products on Jan. 1, 2016.

The ban includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and all vapor products.

Planning and Staff Development Director Ahmed Belazi says about 7 percent of the student body used tobacco products while on campus.

"It's a move in a direction that we think is appropriate. We think it helps us be a more respectful and caring campus," says Belazi.

The tobacco-free policy will include all students, faculty, staff, vendors and visitors to Stony Brook University.

University officials say their goal is not to punish smokers, but to help them quit with programs that include group sessions, nicotine patches and gum. If someone is caught smoking once the ban is in effect, the administration says they will not face any disicpline.

Since 2012, eleven SUNY campuses across the state have enacted smoking bans.

The full policy can be found at the SBU website.