Responsibility for Maintenance: Human Resources
Date of most recent changes: June 17, 2024
Onondaga Community College (OCC) understands that health is as important as education. OCC is dedicated to providing a safe, healthy, comfortable and productive learning environment for the entire campus community. In recognition of the overwhelming scientific evidence by the US Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency, and World Health Organization, which demonstrates that tobacco is a profound agent of deadly diseases and is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, OCC is instituting a Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy to change the culture of tobacco and smoking at OCC.
I. Policy Statement
This policy expands on the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the New York statewide smoking ban that took effect on July 24, 2003, which bans smoking in all enclosed workplaces in New York, including bars, restaurants and construction sites. This policy applies to any property owned, operated, or controlled by the College.
II. Reason for Policy
OCC's smoke and tobacco free environment supports good health for the entire campus community. Some of the reasons for OCC's commitment to going smoke and tobacco free include:
- Foster respect for others and our campus environment, and reduce health hazards for all campus community members;
- Prepare students for workplaces which are tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device and smoke free;
- Prevent students attending OCC from being targeted by any marketing, promotion, or distribution of tobacco or electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device products on campus;
- Discourage students from adopting or continuing to use any form of tobacco, electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery devices or other forms of smoking;
- Decrease the use of tobacco or electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery devices through social norming; and
- Reduce adolescent addiction to and usage of smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery devices.
III. Applicability of the Policy
This policy applies to all College employees, students, visitors, and vendors. It is the responsibility of College administration to assure that this policy is communicated to everyone within their areas of responsibility.
IV. Contacts
| Subject | Office Name | Title or Position | Telephone Number | Email/URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions regarding policy – employees | Human Resources | Vice President of Human Resources | (315) 498-2516 | m.wilcox4@sunyocc.edu |
| Questions regarding policy – students | Student Engagement & Learning Support | Dean of Students | (315) 498-2119 | s.m.schuhert@sunyocc.edu |
V. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
| Tobacco product | is defined as any product made or derived from tobacco or which contain nicotine, intended for human consumption, including, but not limited to: cigarettes, cigars, hookah-smoked products, bidis, kreteks, electronic cigarettes, electronic aerosol delivery systems, smokeless tobacco, and snus. Term also includes herbal cigarettes (as defined by NY Public Health Law 13-F) and nicotine free electronic cigarettes. This definition does not include any product that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for sale as tobacco use cessation products. |
| Electronic Cigarette/Electronic Aerosol Delivery System | means an electronic device that, when activated, produces an aerosol that may be inhaled. Electronic Aerosol Delivery System includes any component, and any liquid or other substance to be aerosolized, whether or not separately sold. Electronic Aerosol Delivery System does not include drugs, devices, or combination products authorized for sale by the state or US Food and Drug Administration.
Because the liquid nicotine mixture in e-cigarettes is derived from tobacco, it is defined by this policy as a tobacco product rather than as a tobacco cessation product. While the secondhand effect of the vapor from the e-cigarettes may be less harmful than that of tobacco smoke, OCC is unwilling to expose students and other members of the College community to possible harm from an unregulated and untested product. When the FDA makes a ruling on e-cigarettes, this policy will be reconsidered. |
| Smoke | is defined as a practice in which a substance (tobacco or nicotine) is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream. |
| OCC Property | is defined as any property owned, leased, or operated by OCC, including College owned and/or College operated vehicles. |
| Tobacco Company | is defined as a company that manufacturers and/or markets branded tobacco products. This includes any subsidiaries (but not including parent companies) which engage in business activities that are not in any way related to tobacco or tobacco in electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery devices. |
| Direct Tobacco Company Holdings | are defined as corporate stock holdings directly owned by the College, not including stock holdings that may be owned through mutual funds or other indirect investments. |
| Smoke, Tobacco and Nicotine Free Grounds | Smoke, tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device use is prohibited everywhere within the perimeter on all OCC property, both indoors and outdoors, as well as in College owned, operated, or controlled vehicles.
Tobacco smoke and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device use is prohibited at all College sponsored, off campus events. |
VI. Compliance
This policy is driven by respect for others and the environment and relies on the thoughtfulness, consideration, and cooperation of tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device users and non-users for its success. Enforcement of this policy will depend on the cooperation of all members of the OCC campus community, both to comply and encourage others to do so. It is the responsibility of all members of the College community to observe this smoke, tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device use policy.
OCC will inform members of the campus community about the smoke, tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device policy by widely disseminating information about the policy on a regular basis. The smoke, tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device policy will be clearly posted in employee and student handbooks, on the campus website, and as part of other publications.
This policy will be shared with parents, alumni and visitors through media, campus announcements, the website and other means. Key components of the policy will be posted on signage around campus (e.g.: smoke, tobacco and nicotine use is not allowed on campus grounds). Public announcements will address the policy at events on campus.
Policy non-compliance prompts an initial educational response which includes information regarding the existence of the policy, the rationale for the policy, and the availability of nicotine cessation support services both on and off campus.
To enhance OCC's commitment to a smoke, tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device free culture, the College will encourage and partner with surrounding merchants, municipalities, landlords, residents, and tobacco and nicotine control advocacy groups and other local stakeholders to enact community tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device free policies.
Cessation
Understanding the addictive nature of tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device use and that breaking that addiction is extremely difficult for many people, OCC will make every reasonable effort to assist students, faculty and staff who wish to stop using tobacco or electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery devices. The campus will promote and provide evidence-based cessation resources. Students can access cessation treatment, including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, at the Community Care Hub. Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program. Please note that medically approved nicotine replacement therapy is not a violation of the policy.
Advertising, Promotion and Sales
Tobacco and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device sales are prohibited anywhere on the OCC campus. The College will not accept advertising, marketing, distribution, or promotion of tobacco or electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device products.
Sponsorships, Gifts, Funding and Investments
All grants and gifts to OCC and all solicitations and proposals for such funds must have the approval of the College and must conform to its mission statement and culture of wellness, SUNY policies, and all applicable laws and regulations. With that in mind, OCC will no longer invest in any direct tobacco company holdings and will divest itself of any remaining investments in the tobacco industry as soon as reasonably practicable. Investment packages that include tobacco related holdings must be reported to the Tobacco Free Committee annually as long as such holdings remain in those packages.
VI. Procedures
Violation of the smoking policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion for students, and up to and including discharge according to the applicable bargaining agreement for employees.
Approved by OCC Board of Trustees April 3, 2006
Updated and approved by the President March 7, 2007, effective May 14, 2007
Updated and approved by the President April 16, 2012
Updated and approved by the President December 20, 2013
Updated and approved by the President June 15, 2020
Updated and approved by the President June 17, 2024