BARRIE, ON – Students of Georgian College will have to go off campus to smoke or vape from now on.
The announcement was made via a release from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU). The ban will apply to all campuses including Muskoka.
The release said the decision was made due to the skyrocketing rates of youth vaping.
“Young people risk becoming addicted to nicotine using e-cigarettes, many of which have nicotine concentration levels that are extremely high,” Dr. Charles Gardner, the medical officer of health, said in the release. “Once addicted, evidence indicates many of these youth will move on to smoke cigarettes, the leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide.”
The health unit cited a study from the University of Waterloo’s professor David Hammond, which said vaping rates among 16 to 19-year-olds increased 74 per cent from 2017 to 2018. The data also showed a 45 per cent increase in tobacco use among the same age group during the same span.
“This cohort is now in, or will soon be heading to post-secondary campuses like Georgian College,” Gardner said in the release. “Policies that support smoke- and vape-free behaviours are critically important efforts to stem this dangerous trend that threatens to addict a whole new generation to tobacco industry products.”
For completely prohibiting smoking at all seven sites, Gardner presented Georgian College with a 2019 Smoke-Free Champion award. According to the health unit, the college joins 75 other campuses across Canada to implement the same ban.
Smoke-Free Champion Awards are given to local groups, individuals and organizations every year. The goal is to encourage communities and businesses to reduce tobacco use and support smoke-free living.
“Our decision to go smoke-free reflects our commitment to provide a clean, healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work,” MaryLynn West-Moynes, Georgian College President and CEO, said in the release. “We care deeply about the health of our students, staff and visitors at all of our campus locations and we’re absolutely thrilled to be recognized by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit for our efforts.”
Gardner added he was encouraged by the leadership Georgian College showed to create more smoke-free spaces. He urged the rest of post-secondary institutions to follow suit as part of a plan to bring total tobacco use across the country to under 5 per cent by 2035.