Citing a desire to encourage a healthy lifestyle, the head of the University of California system has requested campus officials to begin to implement a smoking ban over the next 24 months.

UC President Mark Yudof sent a letter out to the chancellors of campus across the system on Monday.

“Offering a smoke-free environment will contribute positively to the health and well-being of all UC students, facility, staff, patients and visitors,” Yudof wrote.

The University of California is following the lead of 586 college campuses across the country that have become smoke free, the UC president pointed out in his letter. The California State university system has designated areas on campus where smoking is allowed.

According to Yudof’s letter, the ban will include smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes). Use and sale of tobacco products will include indoor and outdoor spaces -- including parking lots, private residential space, and the Medical Center campuses.

As for enforcement, Yudof’s letter indicated enforcement would be “primarily educational, with an emphasis on cessation of resources.”