Merced College snuffs out tobacco on campus

Last month the Merced College Board of Trustees unanimously decided to adopt a policy change for a tobacco-free campus, meaning any tobacco products will be prohibited.

Merced College partnered with the Merced County Department of Public Health, said Chris Vitelli, vice president of student affairs, to start a coalition discussing what direction the campus community wants Merced College to take.

Merced College’s current smoking policy follows state law; smoking and tobacco are allowed anywhere on campus that’s at least 20 feet away from a building. The new tobacco-free policy, which eliminates all tobacco use on campus, goes into effect in fall 2017, according to Vitelli.

In spring of next year there will be outreach and resources available for students on tobacco use, Vitelli said, as well as help for those who are trying to quit smoking. Counselors, literature and classes will be available for any unanswered questions.

Merced College received funding to research what a tobacco-free campus would look like, Vitelli said. National trends were looked at, as well as projects at other community colleges and state colleges and what worked for them.

Different options were considered, according to Vitelli, such as having designated smoking areas vs. a smoke-free campus. Secondhand smoking was also taken into consideration and the different impacts of tobacco products.

“The main focus was (finding) what the campus wanted,” Vitelli said.

A survey was conducted campuswide, Vitelli said, and from the 500 responses, 64 percent favored a tobacco-free campus. Of the 500 respondents, 15 percent said they’ve used tobacco products in the last 30 days.

Stephanie Nathan, program manager for the county’s public health department, said the funding contributing to the policy change was its most recent “win” because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Partnerships to Improve Community Health programs focus on improving community health.

“From (the county Department of Public Health’s) perspective, it’s extra beneficial because it eliminates secondhand smoking,” she said.

Most people start to smoke before they’re 25, Nathan said, and it’s important not to establish the habit.

“It’s about changing the norm,” she said.

The 2016 Community Health Assessment from the Merced County Department of Public Health says smoking is a “modifiable risk factor” for the leading cause of death in the county, heart disease.

About 48 percent of people in Merced county with heart disease have smoked before and 15 percent said they currently smoke, according to the assessment. Eleven percent of the general population in the county are smokers, and 30 percent have smoked before.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Merced College snuffs out tobacco on campus."