Smoking banned

at QVCC

DANIELSON — Students returning to Quinebaug Valley Community College for the spring semester will notice the smoking receptacles at the Danielson campus are gone.

Starting Jan. 1, 2017, QVCC became one of a handful of colleges in Connecticut to become a tobacco- and vape-free campus. Smoking and vaping is prohibited on all campus property, including all indoor and outdoor space of the college and Quinebaug Middle College, and inside all vehicles.

According to QVCC President Carlee Drummer, the college is taking this step to ensure QVCC offers a healthy learning and working environment and to comport with the goals of the Climate Action Plan issued last year.

“Beyond the deleterious effects of second-hand smoke, cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded piece of waste around the world and are not biodegradable,” she said. 

“Prohibiting smoking will be a great boon to QVCC’s maintenance crew who must deal with the cigarette litter on a daily basis,” she added.

Drummer pointed out that most states have strict laws in place about the prohibition of smoking on the campuses of public colleges and universities. In fact, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched a National Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative in 2012. As of October 1, 2016, at least 1,713 colleges and universities in the US are smokeless campuses.

According to the policy, “Violation may result in monetary fines issued by QVCC’s security officers and/or disciplinary action by the appropriate administrative office.” 

Drummer said the security officers will be responsible for enforcing the new policy. “Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” she added.