For more information on the smoke-free campus inititive please visit our Smoke-Free pages.

Questions or comments to:
news@northshore.edu

NSCC is Smoke-Free!

Posted Wednesday, January 4, 2012

North Shore Community College joined a nationwide trend when it became smoke-free on January 1, 2012. Smoking is now prohibited on all the college's campuses - indoor facilities, campus grounds, walkways and parking lots. The smoke-free policy applies to all students, staff, faculty, contractors, vendors and visitors.

"North Shore Community College is committed to creating and providing a safe and healthy educational environment for all people who study, work and visit its campuses. We believe a smoke-free policy is an important investment in our students' health and their promising futures. In addition, a smoke-free campus is more aesthetically pleasing, welcoming and accessible to all students and staff, safer from fires, and environmentally sustainable," explained NSCC President Wayne M. Burton.

He added, "The decision to go smoke-free, which was internally driven by the college's student body and governing Coordinating Council, is an active response to the fact that tobacco smoke is a proven health hazard to both smokers and non-smokers alike, and that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States."

Creating a smoke-free environment is also in keeping with the college's core values and strategic directions of accessibility for all, respect and sustainability. "It was always planned that when the Commonwealth's first Zero Net Energy building opens on its Danvers campus in January 2012 it would be smoke-free as part of its green mission. Thus bringing the rest of the campus into similar compliance makes sense as we strive to be excellent environmental stewards," Burton said.

The college will provide access and information to a variety of cessation programs and a wide range of supportive systems to help its students and staff successfully transition to a healthier lifestyle. Smoking will now only be permitted in private vehicles lawfully parked on campus lots.

Established in 1965, North Shore Community College is one of the oldest and largest of the fifteen community colleges in Massachusetts. It serves 26 cities and towns along the coastal region of the state from north metropolitan Boston to Cape Ann. NSCC offers over 90 credit programs, noncredit corporate and community education and training, online offerings and community and civic engagement opportunities.