Beginning July 1, 2015, smokers and tobacco users on campus will either have to break the habit, or take it off campus. Here’s what to expect in the next two years.
The future of a tobacco-free Le Moyne is getting closer and more realistic. Though the campus won’t officially be tobacoo-free until July 1, 2015, the tobacco-free committee is planning an upcoming event to spread awareness about the new policy, and using these next two years to prepare students the best they can.
In April of 2013, the Student Government Association [SGA] passed a tobacco-free campus resolution, and handed it over to the college’s tobacco committee, which consists of a variety of members among the Le Moyne community and health professionals. It includes members of the SGA, Sodexo, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Health and Wellness Center, the Human Resources Office and the American Cancer Society. Over the summer, the committee was educated by smoking cessation counselors on how to support people who want to quit smoking. This new resolution will forbid all tobacco products from being used on the Le Moyne campus.
The committee members’ plan is to use the next two years until Le Moyne is officially tobacco-free efficiently, rather than waiting until the policy is active. In the first year, committee members would like to educate the campus community on the benefits of going tobacco-free, as well as spread awareness about the policy.
Their first event will be the “Great American Smoke Out,” an annual campaign started by the American Cancer Society. Each year, the third Thursday in November is designated as a day to encourage smokers to make a plan to kick the habit. This will be Le Moyne’s first year having a “Great American Smoke Out” after having announced the tobacco-free campus.
There will be tables at various locations on campus giving out free t-shirts promoting the policy, cold turkey sandwiches to encourage quitting “cold turkey” and information about the new campus-wide policy. There will also be smoking cessation counselors offering their services, including the distribution of nicotine patches and nicotine gum, as well as information and tips on how to quit. The tobacco committee says tobacco-users of the Le Moyne community aren’t required to attend, but they are strongly encouraged to.
“We don’t want it to be a negative impact,” said Cynthia Daniels, the nurse manager at Le Moyne’s wellness center and member of the smoke-free committee. “We want it to be a positive impact. And I think this is a positive for health, for their health, our health, for the college health.”
In 2014, one year before the policy becomes active, committee members will focus on making sure all students know about the policy and the rules are apparent across campus. Tobacco-free signs will be put up around campus as the July 1, 2015 date gets closer.
“If we’ve done a good job communicating and really disseminating the policy, we really expect that most people will enforce it on their own, like they do virtually every other Le Moyne policy that we have on campus,” said Jack Matson, the associate vice president for human resources at Le Moyne, and a member of the smoke-free committee.
