The University of California has asked chancellors at the educational system’s 10 schools to ban smoking by the beginning of 2014, a university official said in a letter dated January 9.

UC President Mark G. Udoff made the announcement in a letter dated January 9.

“As a national leader in healthcare and environmental practices, the University of California is ready to demonstrate leadership in reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke by creating a smoke-free environment on all of our campuses,” he wrote.

The ban includes smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.

Smoking will be in place in all UC facilities and will be banned in indoor and outdoor spaces including parking lots, private residential space.

The systems already ban smoking at its Medical Center campuses and Udoff noted 586 other university campuses are smoke-free.