Approved by President’s Cabinet 9/23/14
Revisions Adopted by President’s Cabinet 7/26/17; 12/12/23
East Georgia State College has a responsibility to its employees, students and visitors to provide a safe and healthy environment. Research findings show that tobacco use in general, including smoking, breathing second hand smoke, and “spit” tobacco, constitute a significant health hazard. In addition to causing a direct health hazard, tobacco use contributes to institutional costs in other ways, including fire damage, cleaning and maintenance costs, and costs associated with absenteeism, health care and medical insurance. Because of the deleterious effects of tobacco use, EGSC has committed to a tobacco-free environment for all persons.
In accordance with the Georgia Smoke Free Air Act of 2005, Title 31 Chapter 12A, this policy reinforces the EGSC commitment to provide a safe and amicable workplace for all employees. The goal of the policy is to preserve and improve the health, comfort and environment of students, employees and any persons occupying our campuses.
The use of all tobacco products is prohibited on any property owned, leased, or controlled by East Georgia State College. For the purpose of this policy, tobacco products are defined as any product derived from tobacco, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, electronic cigarette devices. This definition includes smoking devices which create an aerosol or vapor or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this policy.
Further, this policy prohibits any advertising, sale, or free sampling of tobacco products on EGSC properties unless specifically stated for research purposes. This prohibition includes but is not limited to all areas indoors and outdoors, buildings and parking lots owned, leased, rented or otherwise used by the EGSC or its affiliates. The use of tobacco products is prohibited in all vehicles – private or public vehicles - located on EGSC properties.
This policy applies to all persons who enter the areas described above, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, contractors and subcontractors, spectators, and visitors. All events hosted by an EGSC entity shall be tobacco-free. All events hosted by outside groups on behalf of the EGSC shall also be tobacco-free. The monitoring and enforcement of the tobacco free campus policy is the responsibility of all faculty, staff, and students. Each person should consistently and politely bring any infraction of the policy to the attention of the person or persons observed violating the policy. Violation of this policy may result in corrective action under the Student Code of Conduct or campus human resource policies. Visitors refusing to comply may be asked to leave campus.
Signage will be prominently placed on campus as reminder of the policy.
Additional information and smoking cessation programs are available through several sources:
