Staff Academic Council supports Smoke-Free Campus

Great news!  Today, the Staff Academic Council (representing the Gallaudet and Clerc Campuses) voted on and passed the following motion with a 8 to 1 vote!

We, members of the Staff Academic Council, move to have Gallaudet join with other universities involved in the DC Tobacco Free Campus consortium (DCTFC) to support the transition of Gallaudet University from being a smoking campus to becoming a 100% smoke-free campus (excluding the Kellogg Conference Hotel).

The faculty senate meeting ran out of time, so our motion was moved to this coming Monday 4/13/09.  Think smoke-free thoughts!  

Gallaudet's Current Smoking Policy

Gallaudet University is dedicated to providing a healthy, comfortable, and productive work environment for faculty, teachers, staff, students, and guests. Reaching and maintaining this goal requires the understanding and patience of all members of the campus community.

Smoking is not permitted in any University or Clerc Center building or in any University owned vehicle. Smoking is permitted on the campus grounds in areas designated as smoking permitted and where receptacles are placed. There are no smoking breaks. At all times, the right of the non-smoker to protect his/her health and comfort takes precedence over another person's right to smoke.

Violations of this policy by employees should be reported to the appropriate unit administrator. Violations of this policy by students should be reported to the appropriate student life administrator.

For the full document, click here to go to the Administrations & Operations Manual Section 1.07 on Smoking

Kick 'Butts' Day - March 25th

Gallaudet's very own Peer Health Advocates invites you to celebrate Kick Butts Day with them on Wednesday, March 25. On this day, help empower each other to stand out, speak up, and seize control against Big Tobacco with fun, educational activities and events.

The Kick Butts Day celebration will be held at the JSAC G-Area, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. It's time to kick those cigarette butts out!

Contact: kyle.gilstrap@gallaudet.edu

Health & Wellness Programs (HWP) at Gallaudet also hosts the Great American Smoke-out every year in November.  In January, HWP provided New Year's Resolutions that included information on smoking. In the past, HWP has done workshops about cancer and smoking.  Interested in having one on campus?  Click here to get in touch with the HWP/PHAs!

Gallaudet University Student Health Services

Gallaudet's medical center provides medical care, health awareness and preventive medicine and also has adopted a smoke-free Gallaudet mission.  The below section is copied from their official page, click here to visit their full page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mission of Smoke-Free at Gallaudet is to encourage a positive health environment for everyone. We will strive to achieve this mission by:

• Convincing members of the university community that tobacco poses a serious health hazard for both smokers and non-smokers.
  
• Preventing future generations of Gallaudet University students, faculty, and staff from becoming addicted to nicotine.
  
• Helping current smokers who have decided to quit, and giving them the tools to enable them to stop smoking.
  
• Throughout the year, the Student Health Service holds various smoke-free awareness events. 

The following items are available at these events or at the Student Health Service:

• Pamphlets
  
• Quit kits
  
• Fact sheets
  
• Promotional items designed to help smokers quit

Click here to go to the full link:  http://www.gallaudet.edu/af/shs_smokefree.xml

Dangers of Third-Hand Smoke

(Click on photo to enlarge)

2/25 DC Tobacco Free Campuses Meeting Summary

Good Afternoon DCTFC,

I am pleased to report that yesterday’s meeting was a very productive as we continue to make great strides toward going tobacco free campus together. Thank you to Georgetown University for hosting us. Yesterday, we welcomed our newest members to the consortium, Gallaudet University, whose members provided great information regarding their efforts to become a tobacco free campus. The Smokefree Gallaudet team has put together an impressive site, www.smokefreegallaudet.org. The website includes the latest news in tobacco use on campus, minutes from the DCTFC meetings, a PowerPoint presentation, letters to administrators, student polls, recent studies, and much more! If you haven’t already, you should definitely check it out. It would be great if each college could have a blogsite for this initiative in the near future. Gallaudet has also secured the support of the Student Congress for a tobacco free campus policy and will now move on to the Faculty Senate!

During the meeting, we reviewed a draft of the petition language and decided this tool would be most useful when approaching student and faculty congress. We also decided to use Campuses for Clean Air’s idea to implement a postcard campaign on each campus that will include talking points and facts that will encourage support of a tobacco free campus policy.

*We also decided to change the DCTFC logo at least until we get the full support from our administrators.

The following action steps were identified and agreed upon by the meeting attendees:

• Each school must find out what the protocol is for using petitions on campus and whether a student’s ID# is required in addition to their signature
• Identify potential talking points to include on the post card (please bring 3-4 ideas)
  
• Bring ideas for the Tobacco Free Campus Consortium logo and name. One idea was to name the group “Campuses for Clean Air – Tobacco Free Inside and Out”)
  
• Create a timeline for going tobacco free campus – list ideas for activities, etc. to help change the social norm on campus
  
• Create a “pyramid” that includes the key groups and individuals (from most important to least) whose support is necessary in order to become a tobacco free campus.
  
• GW (Campuses for Clean Air) will email a copy of their postcard and talking points to ALADC.
  
• ALADC will set up a list-serv for the entire consortium to contact one another.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th at 6:00pm. Location is TBD. As promised, I am attaching a copy of The Link, which includes the article on Thirdhand Smoke (posted on this site). For more information on thirdhand smoke, logon to www.ceasetobacco.org.

As always, we appreciate your commitment to your students and residents of the District of Columbia. If you have any questions, please contact me or Debra Annand at 202-546-5864.

Warmest Regards,

Shawntay Warren
Communications Manager
American Lung Association of D.C.
530 7th Street, SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Phone: 202-546-5864
Mobile: 202-441-1537
website: www.aladc.org

Campuses for Clean Air

Many thanks to George Washington University for sharing this postcard with all of us!

Student Congress Motion PASSED!

The motion with Student Congress at Gallaudet University passed tonight (2/18/09), thanks to Green Gallaudet representative Rachel Blake!

The motion was:

"We, members of the Green Gallaudet organization, move to join with other universities involved in the DC Tobacco Free Campus consortium (DCTFC) to support the transition of Gallaudet University from being a smoking campus to becoming a 100% smoke-free campus (excluding the Kellogg Conference Hotel)."

Now, onward to the faculty senate....

Smokers Have The Right To Smoke?

If you have any doubt about the importance of eliminating smoke from the air you breathe day in, day out, consider these cold, hard facts:

• Smoking kills more Americans every year than alcohol, illegal drugs, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire, and AIDS combined.
  
• Tobacco use accounts for 1 out of every 5 deaths
  
• 50% of chronic tobacco users will suffer death or disability due to tobacco
  
• 85% of lung cancers – the leading cause of cancer death for men and women – are due to tobacco use
  
• One-third of all cancer deaths are due to tobacco.
  
• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.
  

Source

Smoke-free College Trend Growing - CNN

By Judy Fortin - November 11, 2007
CNN

GAINESVILLE, Georgia (CNN) -- When 19-year-old Reid Overton wants to smoke a cigarette on his college campus, he has to walk to a distant parking lot and get into his car, but he doesn't seem to mind. "Even as a smoker, I don't like to walk past a cloud of smoke," he says.

Overton is one of 5,300 students at Gainesville State College, an hour north of Atlanta, Georgia. A 4-year-old ban prohibits anyone from using tobacco products on campus, including students, faculty and visitors.

A smoke-free campus was the brainchild of longtime college president Martha Nesbitt, herself a former smoker. "It's just a healthier place to be," says Nesbitt, "because as you go in a building, you're not going to have to go through smoke. When you walk out, you don't see cigarette butts littered around. It's just a cleaner, healthier campus."

Nesbitt reports there haven't been any problems enforcing the ban. Signs are posted around campus, and the policy is prominently displayed on everything from the school Web site to admissions applications.

The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation reports nearly 60 college campuses around the United States have smoke-free policies that affect the entire campus.

Other schools have limited restrictions, banning smoking indoors in residential housing and student facilities. Nesbitt believes her college is one of the first to fully prohibit the use of tobacco products. Watch more on efforts to curb smoking on campus »

The American Cancer Society says the movement is catching on. "The trend toward a smoke-free country is going on everywhere," says Daniel Smith, president of the American Cancer Society Action Network. "I think college campuses are simply reflecting the same trend we're seeing in society."

For the rest of the article, click here.

How Others Handled Enforcement of Smoke-Free Campuses

From: Ackerman, Judy (Vice President and Provost, Rockville Campus & Montgomery College)
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 11:12 PM
To: Shawntay Warren (American Lung Association DC chapter coordinator)
Subject: RE: DC Tobacco Free Campus Consortium

Hi Shawntay. Glad to hear that the consortium is continuing to discuss action steps. With regard to enforcement, we initially thought that all three campuses would use temporary, healthy campus advocates to walk around and inform the campus community about the policy and then to "write up" those who they saw smoking after the first couple of weeks of the semester. In reality, just the Rockville campus with a campus population of 16,000 used them. There was only one employee who they saw smoking and reported. Employee reports go to their supervisor who is expected to follow employee disciplinary protocols of meeting with the employee and giving an oral warning. If the behavior continues there is a written reprimand, suspection and even termination. After the dean spoke with this person and let the person know that discipline could lead to termination, the person said it wouldn't happen again. No one has seen the person smoking in the open. Students are reported to the dean of student development who follows the Student Code of Conduct for disciplinary problems. There is community service on the campus including clean-ups for the first infraction. More stringent consequences for subsequent violations. About 100 students were cited on our campus. You may want to speak with Dean Monica Brown or Associate Dean Helen Brewer for more specifics.

We are spending our time dealing with our neighbors on the other side of an open fence. Eight neighbors came to speak during comments at our Board of Trustee meeting last week. Most want a closed fence. We want a fence but have to work through some issues with the City of Rockville. We have been telling people that if they wish to smoke they need to go to sidewalks off campus, outside of the residential areas around the campus (2 sides of the campus).

Even as we deal with the students who go into the neighborhood to smoke and engage in disturbing behaviors, we hear from faculty, staff and students about those who have quit or cut back on their smoking. It's important to keep a vision of the goal. Someday this will be a non
issue for all of us when society catches up.

Judy E. Ackerman, Ph.D.
Vice President and Provost
Rockville Campus
Montgomery College
51 Mannakee Street
Rockville, MD 20850
240.567.5010
240.567.1741 FAX

DC TFC WorkPlan

(click on images to enlarge)

DC Tobacco-Free Campus (DCTFC) Meeting

Good Afternoon DCTFC,

I would like to thank you all for attending last night’s meeting. We accomplished a lot as we put together our strategy to go tobacco free campus. I especially want to thank Jean Toth of Catholic University for providing that wonderful meeting space. As promised, I have attached a copy of the workplan we discussed yesterday, which includes the action steps that were developed at the meeting. I included additional spaces on the workplan for you to fill in additional steps. Please be prepared to share any updates with the group at the next meeting.

I am also sending the list of churches that are a part of the DC Tobacco Free Holy Grounds (DCTFHG) initiative. Along with that, I have attached the summary of the initiative for your perusal. Feel free to send to the members of the churches we discussed yesterday. For many of you, having those churches join DCTFHG will make it much easier to get your campus to go tobacco free. The contact information for Bishop Wallace, who is the lead on that initiative, can be found in the document. In the coming weeks, I will develop a template letter and petition document for each of you to tailor according to the needs of your campuses, but I strongly urge you all to begin working on some of those other actions steps prior to our next meeting.

The next DCTFC consortium meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th at Georgetown University from 3:30-5pm. Following this email, I will send you an Outlook invitation so it will be saved to your calendars. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Debra Annand any time. Debra’s email address is dannand@aladc.org. Again, thank you for your time and commitment. See you all next month!

Sincerely,

Shawntay Warren
Communications Coordinator
American Lung Association of D.C.
DC Tobacco Free Families Campaign
530 7th Street, SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Phone: 202-546-5864
Mobile: 202-441-1537
website: www.aladc.org

Meeting with American Lung Association

Meeting with American Lung Association, January 23, 2009

Coordinating the meeting: Gwendolyn Francavillo, Health and Wellness Coordinator
Shawntay Warren, Communications Coordinator, American Lung Association of DC
Gary Aller, Executive Director, Business Operations
Raychelle Harris, Faculty, Department of Interpretation
Raylene Paludneviciene, Faculty, Department of Psychology

Shawntay brought us up to speed about her initiative in connecting all DC colleges and universities and to make the transition to a smoke-free campus simultaneously. The rationale behind this is the number one concern of nearly all college administrators is the potentially negative impact on enrollment. Having all campuses in one same location turn 100% smoke-free would possibly negate the enrollment concern of many administrators. In her experience working with other colleges and universities, Shawntay reassured us that enrollment is never impacted, in fact, many parents find sending their child to a smoke-free university a nice bonus. Students choose colleges & universities based on what they provide, not whether if they are smoke-free or not. Regardless, a consortium of DC colleges & universities was established in December 2008. Gallaudet was unable to send a representative then, but hopes to do so at the next meeting of DC Tobacco-Free Campus consortium (DCTFC) on February 25th.

Shawntay shared one constant strategy of successful smoke-free campus movements is the power of students. Garner support through students first, then faculty then staff then ultimately address the administration.

Some of the things discussed during the meeting:

1. Having data/stats to back up our movement (e.g. % of students, faculty and staff in support of this movement, % of who actually smoke, % who would want free smoking cessation support/programs, etc.)
2. Getting DC Youth Environment Alliance on board: http://dcyea.org/
3. Finding a staff representative
4. Service Learning opportunity for GSR courses
5. Green Gallaudet student organization being responsible for making a proposal for Student Congress passage on making Gallaudet 100% smoke-free.
6. Then making a similar proposal at the University Faculty Senate.

Stamping Out Smoking — Even Outdoors

Inside Higher Education - September 25, 2008 - David Moltz

Despite its seemingly deliberate name, the recently enacted Pennsylvania Clear Indoor Air Act now bans outdoor smoking on the 14 campuses of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The Clear Indoor Air Act, passed this summer and effective as of September 11, defines the public places in which the smoking ban applies as “an enclosed area which serves as a workplace, commercial establishment or an area where the public is invited or permitted.” The day before the state law took effect, the state system informed its almost 110,000 students and 12,000 employees via e-mail that — under its generous interpretation of the law — smoking would be banned absolutely everywhere on the state-owned campuses, including courtyards, parking lots and athletic fields.

Peter Garland, executive vice chancellor of the state system, said system officials believe the law applies to outdoor areas because of its stipulation that “public places” include “educational facilities.” It is more comprehensive, he said, to ban smoking at all places on campus than to determine specific places where, and circumstances under which, it should be allowed.

The law charges the state Department of Health with enforcement. Garland said, however, that the exact details of how the ban should be enforced on the system’s 14 campuses were still being determined. Although the law outlines multiple fines for violations — from $250 for a first offense to $1,000 for a third offense within a year — he said the primary focus of current enforcement was to educate the public about the ban and provide information about smoking cessation programs. Levying fines, he said, should neither be the first response to a violation nor the focus of enforcement at this early stage.

For the rest of the article by Inside Higher Education, September 25 - click here.

E-mail About Smoke Free Gallaudet Campus

From: Raylene Paludneviciene, faculty, Department of Psychology

To: Paul Kelly, Vice President of Administration and Finance; Gary Aller, Executive Director, Business Operations and Support Services

CC: Carolyn Stern, Student Health Services Doctor; Gwendolyn Francavillo, Coordinator of Wellness Programs;

Date: Fri, May 23, 2008 at 11:34 AM

Subject: Smoke-free campus

Hello, we wanted to check with you to see if it would be possible to create a smoke-free policy for the Gallaudet campus? The committee for a smoke-free campus was formed in the spring to investigate the possibility of this university becoming smoke-free due to the numerous benefits of being a smoke-free campus. The committee members are also available to help create this policy as well as the accompanying services (such as smoking cessation programs, etc). Please see our website: smokefreegallaudet.blogspot.com for more information. We are looking forward to working with the administration on this proposal,

--
Raylene Paludneviciene, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Gallaudet University

Thinking About Quitting Smoking?

Student Health Services provides smoking cessation information and counseling for Gallaudet community members who who want to quit smoking.

A Smoke Free Campus Wouldn't Have This

A recent storm upturned this cigarette butt disposal in front of Student Academic Center at Gallaudet.

World No Tobacco Day - May 31, 2008

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. It is the only legal consumer product that kills one third to one half of those who use it as intended by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on average 15 years prematurely.

Approximately 1.8 billion young people (aged 10-24) live in our world today with more than 85% found in developing countries. Having survived the vulnerable childhood period, these young people are generally healthy.

However, as the tobacco industry intensifies its efforts to hook new, young and potentially life-long tobacco users, the health of a significant percentage of the world's youth is seriously threatened by their deadly products.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and child and adolescent experimentation can easily lead to a lifetime of tobacco dependence.

From World Health Organization, the host of the World No Tobacco Day:

http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2008/en/index.html

The Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

From http://www.metrokc.gov/health/glbt/tobacco.htm

Smoking is a Personal Choice?

I can understand how secondhand smoke can be considered annoying, but is it really dangerous?
Yes. Secondhand smoke harms the health of those exposed to it. Secondhand smoke has been proven to cause lung cancer and heart disease, and has been linked to asthma and respiratory problems. Secondhand smoke has 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are carcinogens.

What's wrong with smoking sections? Isn't that a good way to make everybody happy?
No. Smoking sections are misnomers. Smoke travels; it knows no boundaries. Having smoking sections is like have peeing and non-peeing sections in a swimming pool - it doesn't work. Like that yellow substance in the water, smoke circulates, and everybody is exposed to it.

Smoking is legal. Why don't you believe that smokers can smoke where they please?
People do not have the right to harm other people's health. Everyone has the right to breathe clean air.

What's next? Will people want to ban beer and fried foods?
Drinking beer and eating fatty foods are not comparable to smoking cigarettes. Drinking beer or eating fatty foods won't harm those around you; smoking will.

Sections adapted from Smoke-Free DC organization website: http://www.smokefreedc.org/faq.htm

More than 110 100% Smoke Free Campuses in USA

The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation: Defending your right to breathe smokefree air since 1976 declares that:

As of April 1, 2008, there are at least 110 smoke free campuses with no exemptions.

As of April 1, 2008, there are at least 33 100% smokefree campuses with minor exemptions for remote outdoor areas.

Click here to download the .pdf of the complete release from the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation or copy and paste:
www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversities.pdf
in your browser.

Study Shows Youth Are Less Likely To Smoke In Towns With Strict Smoking Laws

From Washington Post Express, May 6, 2008, page 3.

Letter from "Deaf Doctor", Dr. Carolyn Stern

From: Carolyn Stern MD (Spanjer)
Date: Fri, Jan 18, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Subject: Smoke Free Gallaudet Campus
To: elaine.vance@gallaudet.edu


Dear Ms. Vance,

What can we do to make Gallaudet University a smoke-free campus?

Research has shown that where young people are exposed to smoke and smokers, the more likely they are to start smoking. And, the younger they start, the more likely they are to become addicted. Once addicted, it is much more difficult to quit.

Research has also shown that SMOKING CAUSES chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, and emphysema and is STRONGLY associated with heart disease, circulatory diseases, ulcers, and impairs developing fetuses.

Secondhand smoke increases a non-smoker's risk for heart disease, lung cancer, and worsens symptoms of adults already suffering from asthma, allergies or bronchitis.

Many Universities, Hospitals, and other locations have made the move to become smoke-free. Why not Gallaudet!

I feel Gallaudet should be completely smoke free because of the tremendous health benefits for the entire University community. There won't be any more cigarette butts lying around campus and receptacles don't need to be purchased.

Even more important, with Kendall School and Le Clerc Center (MSSD) on the same campus at Gallaudet University, I see even more of a reason NOW to enforce a smoke free campus for the health of our students at Gallaudet.

Respectfully,

Carolyn Stern MD

Family Physician
Gallaudet University
Student Health Services


Carolyn Stern MD (Spanjer)
CEO, DeafDOC.org
Physician, Rochester School for the Deaf
Physician, Gallaudet University
58 Eastland Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
585.271.7004 Voice
585.241.9806 VP
585.271.3826 Fax
deafdoc@deafdoc.org
www.deafdoc.org

Invitation To Join Smoke-Free Gallaudet Committee

Hello all-

Would you be interested in being on the committee for a smoke-free campus? The aim of this committee is to see a smoke-free policy implemented at Gallaudet University. Our task might include some research on smoking bans at other universities, creating a vlog to garner support among students, staff and faculty on campus, and lobbying the administration. Comment below if you are interested in helping out, it is hoped that most of the work will be completed during the summer. Hope you can join us!

--
Raylene Paludneviciene, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Gallaudet University