4.21 Breathe Easy Tobacco Free | Smoke Free

Enforcement Guidelines

The Maricopa County Community College District has made the commitment toward a healthier environment for employees, students and guests. On July 1, 2012, all district colleges and district-owned facilities will become tobacco-free. Although the district has undertaken an expansive educational campaign, including a broad cessation component, we recognize that violations of the regulation will occur.

The MCCCD Department of Public Safety has been tasked with enforcing the new regulation. Public Safety recognizes its responsibility to enforce this regulation and similar policies with restraint and diplomacy. In enforcing the Smoke Free/Tobacco Free regulation, employees of Public Safety will consider first and foremost the educational component of compliance. The enforcement guidelines below are meant to assist Public Safety employees in their interactions with smokers that will result in a positive experience for violators.

Despite extensive efforts to make our populations aware of the new regulation, Public Safety realizes that some people will be unaware of the change. Initial contact with violators of the Smoke Free/Tobacco Free regulation will be used as an opportunity to educate smokers of the regulation’s existence and solicit voluntary compliance. The Public Safety employee making initial contact with the violator will offer information about the regulation and provide cessation resource information if the violator is interested in receiving it. In order to properly track violators and enforce the regulation, the following guidelines will be followed by Public Safety.

All violators will receive an initial warning about the prohibition of tobacco use on district property. For students, subsequent violations by the same offender will result in a referral of the student to the Dean of Student Affairs or designee. This referral will be made via a Public Safety Incident Report outlining the circumstance of the violation, including the date, time and location of the initial warning. All Smoke Free/Tobacco Free violations should be treated in the same manner as any other Student Code of Conduct violation. For employees, subsequent violations by the same offender will result in a referral of the employee to the Vice President of Administrative Services or designee. This referral will be made via a Public Safety Incident Report outlining the circumstance of the violation, including the date, time and location of the initial warning. All Smoke Free/Tobacco Free violations should be treated in the same manner as any other Human Resource policy or regulation violation. For visitors, subsequent violations by the same offender will result in the violator being escorted from district property and a no-trespass order issued for a period of 30 days. This ban will be documented via a Public Safety Incident Report outlining the circumstance of the violation, including the date, time and location of the initial warning. Visitors subjected to the no-trespass order may apply for reinstatement of their privilege to visit district property through the office of the Commander of Public Safety at that facility. Repeated violations by visitors will result is a no-trespass order being issued for extended time periods.

See also 4.12 Smoke-Free/Tobacco-Free Environment