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Preparations are made for MHCC's switch to tobacco-free
The Advocate
Signs announcing that MHCC will become a tobacco-free campus on Jan. 2 should be posted around campus within the next few weeks, according to June Jacobs, assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and board relations.
There have been a variety of advancements toward the change, said Jacobs, who also runs the MHCC committee that is working toward a tobacco-free campus.
“We are working on ways to get the information out to students. We now have a link on the website (www.mhcc.edu) with information and I hope people will go and check that out,” said Jacobs.
There is also a timeline on the MHCC website showing tobacco-free activities. According to the timeline, going smoke-free started in 1988 with a policy banning tobacco products from classrooms and college vehicles. Since then, the college has slowly been changing to become completely tobacco-free, from permitting it only outdoors, then to certain areas outdoors and finally, in the new year, to not on campus at all.
“I think its important that people understand that this was not something that was really done quickly last spring, that the board has been discussing it for years,” Jacobs said.
There are bookmarks with the announcement on them being handed out at events around campus, including athletic events, Jacobs said.
The committee is organizing an event Nov. 19 to coincide with the Great American Smoke Out. This day is sponsored by The Lung Association of America and encourages people to not smoke on that day.
“There may be some people who want to take advantage of quitting. And so if they want resources, we want to be able to try and provide the resources to help them,” Jacobs said.
There may be a contest in the near future to “develop a theme,’’ Jacobs said. “PCC (Portland Community College) had a theme for ‘there’s a change in the air.’ And then we’ll have some prizes; the bookstore is going to give us some gift certificates,” Jacobs said.
For more information about the tobacco ban, see the link on the MHCC website at http://www.mhcc.edu/pages/3374.asp or e-mail tobacco.free@mhcc.edu.
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