Intervention Aroostook: 6.22.2021

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -A local community college is being lauded for their efforts to keep their campus smoke free. Shawn Cunningham reports on their success in this week’s Intervention Aroostook.

You can breathe easy on the campus of Northern Maine Community College, knowing you won’t have to deal with inhaling cigarette smoke or other tobacco products. In fact, the institution has been working for the past several years to become an entire smoke free campus. And apparently its working. NMCC receiving a gold star standard of excellence from the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy Initiative.

Bill Egler NMCC Dean of Students

“a reduction in tobacco uses of all sorts on campus its still number contributor to early deaths across the country and in Maine and ww’re trying to do our part to make sure the campus and students understand the importance of wellness.”

Shawn Cunningham NO STANDUP

FILE

NMCC is among 11 Maine institutions of higher learning recognized for their leadership efforts on the issue. It’s the tenth year the community college has participated in the initiative showing a longstanding commitment to addressing tobacco use and exposure. One critical way they addressed that says Egler is through strategic zero tolerance policies and communication.

“we take it pretty seriously when we say we’re a tobacco free campus and our first effort is always to educate individuals and from there if people continue to violate policies than we deal with it in a much more punitive way.”

Taking it a step further he says campus leadership and the institution as a whole does not accept donations or partnership with tobacco companies. And how does the initiative to remain tobacco free stand against Miane now becoming a legalized recreational marijuana state? Where does that fit in?

“I think you need to understand that smoke of any kind whether you’re sucking in a campfire or cigarette those things all have negative consequences healthwise.”

Overall he says the effort has been a proactive one, widely accepted by faculty and staff as the community culture changes...

“I’m old enough to remember people smoking in offices and thinking nothing of that and now its a much nicer en environment.”

Shawn Cunningham, NS 8.

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