Smoking Policy

Hagerstown Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy working and learning environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors on its campus, and adopted a Tobacco-Free Policy effective January 1, 2015.

The Tobacco-Free Policy applies to all Hagerstown Community College facilities and vehicles, owned or leased, regardless of location.  Smoking and the use of tobacco and e-cigarette products shall not be permitted on any Hagerstown Community College property, including all buildings and facilities, walkways, recreational and athletic areas, building entrances, and parking lots. This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, and other persons on campus, regardless of the purpose of their visit.

The college administration shall establish appropriate procedures and consequences, which may include fines or disciplinary measures, for violations of this policy and create an information campaign and signage.

Definitions:

A.    “E-cigarette” means any electronic oral device, such as one composed of a heating element, battery, and/or electronic circuit, which provides a vapor of nicotine or any other substances, and the use or inhalation of which simulates smoking. The term shall include any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, or under any other product name or descriptor.

B.    “Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, including a hookah pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product, including marijuana, intended for inhalation, in any manner or any form. “Smoking” also includes the use of an e-cigarette which creates a vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this Policy.

C.    “Tobacco Product” means any substance containing tobacco leaf, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, bidis, blunts, clove cigarettes, or any other preparation of tobacco; and any product or formulation of matter containing biologically active amount of nicotine that is manufactured, offered for sale, sold, or otherwise distributed with the expectation that the product or matter will be introduced into the human body by inhalation; but does not include any cessation product specifically approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in treating nicotine or tobacco dependence.