27 Oct 2008
Simcoe Muskoka - If you’re dropping teens off at the local high school, stopping in to see a football game or using the building for a night meeting, there may be a new lesson to learn: Smoking is prohibited on school property anytime, anywhere, by anyone.
“We’ve posted No Smoking signs to alert people,” says John Niddery, tobacco program supervisor with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “But while the signs are new, the law isn’t. Smoking and holding lit tobacco products have been prohibited on school property 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 1994.
Niddery said community perception has been that law is only in effect during school hours and that it is only directed at students. The new signs and a community awareness campaign are designed to clear up that misconception and build compliance among all community members
No Smoking on School Property signs have been put up around the schools in partnership with local school boards. As well as spelling out the law, they carry the health warning that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease.
“We can’t underestimate the impact on kids when they see parents, caregivers and visitors congregating outside the school doors to smoke while attending school performances, graduation ceremonies or waiting in the driveway to pick up students,” said Niddery. “It says to kids, it’s okay to ignore the law and that tobacco use is an acceptable behaviour.”
The health unit and school partners are looking to the community to reinforce the work they are doing to help students make healthy lifestyle choices and to have respect for the laws. Research shows that the majority of smokers become addicted before the age of 19. Among long term smokers, one of every two will die from a tobacco-related illness.
The next step will be the distribution of No Smoking on School Property signs for posting at elementary schools to continue to build awareness about the law.
“As long as there is a tobacco industry trying to market its deadly and addictive products to new customers we have to be vigilant and work together to do what we can to fight back to protect our youth and to encourage and support people to become tobacco free.“
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