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“In addition to health reasons, it also relieves a lot of annoyance of seeing cigarette butts around campus and smoke,” Edwards said. “It is a step forward to make Halifax Community College safe for students, staff and faculty.”
HCC President Dr. Ervin V. Griffin Sr. said the 35 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System have adopted the same or similar policy for their campuses.
“This issue has been discussed since I came on campus,” Griffin said.
“I think in the long run, this is what is best for students and the college.”
The ban includes cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, bidis, hookahs, and smokeless, spit tobacco and snuff.
The policy will be posted on the college’s Web site at www.halifaxcc.edu.
It prohibits the use of tobacco by students, staff, faculty and visitors in all campus buildings, facilities or property owned or leased by HCC.
This policy also covers outside areas of the campus where non-smokers cannot avoid exposure to smoke such as campus grounds, facilities or vehicles that are college property. Lectures, conferences, meetings and social and cultural events held on school property also must abide by the policy.
Griffin said a letter explaining the change will go out to all faculty, staff and students.
The Student Government Association has endorsed the policy.
The President’s Office conducted a faculty and staff survey with 127 responses.
More than two-thirds of respondents — 68.5 percent — supported making Halifax Community College tobacco free.
“The General Assembly of North Carolina has approved a bill that will prohibit tobacco use in community college buildings, grounds and at community college-sponsored events,” Griffin said.
The HCC policy requires the college to provide free, accessible tobacco treatment on campus.
Griffin said a committee has been created to develop a plan for communiciating the policy with students, staff, faculty and visitors.
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