By Angela Wolfe
As you step on to any one of the Cuyahoga Community College campuses on the first day of the Fall 2016 semester, you will immediately notice something is missing. Smoke!
Meghan Estes, District Director for Health and Wellness, and head of the Smoke-Free Taskforce, was elated to share the news with a group of student leaders, “This is happening! Tri-C will be 100% smoke-free.” Estes said, “This policy is just awaiting implementation.”
According to a statement from John Horton, Media relations Manager, in early September Dr. Johnson announced, “Tri-C will be adopting a Tobacco Free Policy.”
In the proclamation, Dr. Johnson wrote, “Such a policy contributes to the well-being of our colleagues, safeguards the environment and assists those who desire to cease using tobacco products.”
Mareyunna Worthy can’t wait until it takes place, “I don’t like smoking, it smells bad, it’s just terrible. The Nursing student went on to express she agrees with making Tri-C smoke-free.
Back in 2012, The Ohio Board of Regents, responsible for the creation of education related policies, urged two-year and four-year educational institutions to ban smoking in its entirety.
According to a previous article titled, 100% Smoke Free for Tri-C, written by Portia Booker of The Voice newspaper, the minute from board meeting stated, “members of the board of regents, with the support of the chancellor, advocate for the establishment of tobacco free college and university campuses at all of Ohio’s public institutions of higher education, to include: 14 four-year state universities, 24 branch and regional campuses, 23 two-year community college is and technical colleges, north east Ohio medical University, as well as Ohio’s Adult Workforce Education (AWE) and Adult Basic and Literacy Education programs (ABLE).”
As it now stands, each campus has designated smoking areas based its layout. These will no longer be a place of refuge for smokers; the same goes for your personal vehicle, so long as it is parked on college property. Per the Tri-C website, smoking outside of these listed places results in a violation that could lead to disciplinary action which may include expulsion and referral for prosecution.
A college-wide advisory board and a task force are slated to sort the nut and bolt of the operation. With that being said, although in the past smoking outside these areas would not lead to the above extremes, as this policy progresses, expect that these disciplinary procedures will likely be enforced.
“It wouldn’t be fair for some people and more fair for others, so that kind of a fine line to walk there,” said Matthew Barnett, Mechanical Engineering Technician. “But, I mean, you cant make everyone happy.
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