Wallace Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for its employees, students and visitors. The College recognizes the right of persons to make their own decisions about their personal use of tobacco products away from the College. However, in light of findings of the U.S. Surgeon General that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and use of tobacco products are significant health hazards, it is the intent of the College to establish a tobacco-free environment on its campuses and in its vehicles. Consequently, the use, distribution, or sale of tobacco products, including the carrying of any lighted smoking instrument, in College buildings or in or upon other College premises or inside College-owned, rented or leased vehicles, is prohibited. Wallace Community College employees, students, and visitors are not permitted to use tobacco products inside their private vehicles while on College property.
For the purposes of this policy, a tobacco product is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including and not limited to, cigarettes (e.g., clove, bidis, kreteks), electronic cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, hookah smoked products, pipes and oral tobacco (e.g., spit and spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff) and nasal tobacco. It also includes any product intended to mimic tobacco products, contain tobacco flavoring or deliver nicotine, to include water vapor emitting products. All College employees, students, visitors, and contractors are required to comply with this policy, which shall remain in force at all times. Any College employee or student found to be in violation of the tobacco-free policy will be subject to a monetary fine. Tickets will be issued by College Police officers for violations of the College tobacco-free policy. Monetary fines will be imposed as listed below, depending on whether the offender is an employee or student. Any visitor or contractor found to be violating the policy shall be asked to discontinue the disallowed activity, and any failure by a visitor or contractor to discontinue the disallowed activity after being requested to do so shall result in the visitor or contractor being escorted off the College premises by the College Police.