GROSSMONT & CUYAMACA COLLEGES GO SMOKE-FREE CAMPUSES STARTING JANUARY 1

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January 1, 2009 (El Cajon) — Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
becomes the first multi-campus district in California to ban smoking starting
New Year's Day.

"In the long run, we have done something very valuable for this district,"
said governor board president Bill Garrett.

Deanne Weeks said the district has a responsibility to "be ahead of the curve." 

Trustee Rick Alexander agreed.  "It's up to us to take the lead." 

The move aims to protect students, staff and faculty from serious health risks
associated with exposure to second-hand smoke. Mesa College and some other
community colleges in California have also barred smoking.  The City of
El Cajon, where Grossmont College is located, passed a smoking ban last year
in virtually all public places. 

The district's governing board voted 5-0 last January to make both Grossmont
and Cuyamaca College smoke-free and tobacco free, effective this year.  The
delay allowed time to mount an educational "healthy campus" campaign to promote
the smoke-free policy.  Students were temporarily allowed to smoke in
restricted areas in 2008.  Campus surveys of students showed a split on
whether to continue to partial ban or eliminate smoking altogether. 

Evelyn Hogan of Communities Against Substance Abuse urged trustees to establish
a smoke-free district.  Cuyamaca College's student trustee, Audrey Causton,
voted for the ban.  But Grossmont's student trustee, Crystal Bernier-Sudano,
did not, arguing to instead move smoking areas to the perimeter of the campus.  Sudent
trustees' votes are advisory. 

"I was shocked that the board did that," Bernier-Sudano said of the decision
to ban smoking altogether, according to an article at SmokersClubInc.com.  "That's
not what students want."

But the move drew praise from the American Lung Association in California
and other health advocates.

Students or other people who seek help to quit smoking are encouraged to call
the California Smokers Helpline at (800)NO BUTTS (662-8887) or (800)45 NO FUME
(456-6386) for Spanish.  Hotlines in Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese,
and Korean are also available at the website: www.californiasmokershelpline.org.
.  Hearing impaired smokers may call (800)933-4833, while persons seeking
help to stop chewing tobacco or dipping snuff can dial (800)844-CHEW. 


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