VGCC goes Tobacco-Free in August
When students return to Vance-Granville Community College’s four campuses in the fall, they will find a new policy in place regarding tobacco products. VGCC will officially become a 100-percent “Tobacco-Free” college on Aug. 18, the first day of the fall semester. College officials, with help from the North Carolina Health & Wellness Trust Fund, are now working to prepare students, employees and visitors for the change.
The VGCC Board of Trustees approved the new policy in March. The move came after a year of student, faculty and staff surveys and focus groups, all of which showed strong support for the change. The new policy states that VGCC is committed to providing its students and employees a safe and healthy campus environment. The policy also states that the college recognizes the use of tobacco products can be detrimental to the health of students, employees, and visitors, and recognizes that it has an obligation to promote a healthy learning and work environment, free from unwanted smoke and byproducts of tobacco use. Tobacco products will no longer be allowed on any VGCC properties or grounds or in vehicles.
“As a community-oriented institution, Vance-Granville has a responsibility to set a higher standard for health, not only for its faculty, staff and students, but also for members of our community who visit our four campuses ,” said VGCC President Randy Parker. “We see a tobacco-free college as an opportunity to practice what we teach, particularly as we educate our future health care professionals on the dangers of tobacco use.”
VGCC Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Purvis added that the policy will benefit all students, and is particularly appropriate since high school students are now on college campuses in increasing numbers. He said that according to the Centers for Disease Control, people ages 18-24 are the only age group in which smoking rates are on the rise.
The North Carolina Health & Wellness Trust Fund has been promoting the 100-percent Tobacco-Free Initiative since 2000. As of earlier this year, 22 colleges and universities in North Carolina had implemented a tobacco-free policy.
To help students and employees quit using tobacco products, college officials recommend the North Carolina Tobacco Use Quitline, which can be accessed by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or on the web at www.quitlinenc.com .
