All Austin Community College District campuses and facilities will be smoke-free beginning January 2. In order to help students and employees comply with the new policy, the college is making smoking-cessation resources available.
The college is partnering with the Seton Tobacco Education Resource Center to offer free cessation classes. The next six-week session begins January 10; classes will be Tuesdays at Highland Business Center from noon to 1 p.m. The program is open to students and employees as well as employees’ spouses and dependent children age 18 and older.
“ACC understands the challenges faced by people who want to stop smoking,” says Dr. Mary Hensley, executive vice president of college operations. “We are committed to providing support and making our students and employees aware of resources that can assist them.”
ACC is already smoke-free inside buildings. The new policy, approved by the Board of Trustees in October, also prohibits the use of smoke-producing tobacco on college grounds and in ACC-owned vehicles. Signage with reminders about the change will go up over winter break.
Contact Alisol Martinez (223.7800, [email protected]) or visit the Human Resources webpage for additional details about the tobacco education classes and other cessation information.
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By Elizabeth Schutze December 13, 2011 - 2:14 pm
I do not smoke and still find this to be a limiting, angering policy. If poeple are outside the smoke from a cigarette is negligable to the pollution from a non-smokers car. When will the no perfume/cologne campaign happen? Making smokers wait to be off school property to get a nicotine fix is asking for people to be shot. You offer smoking sessation classes but do you offer spitoons for people to get nicotine w/o smoke? Just because some people find somethings disagreeable doesn’t mean there is a need to illegalize everything. You make me want a cigarette.
By Tyler Renner December 13, 2011 - 4:35 pm
I came to this web site to enroll for classes next semester. This was the first thing I saw on their homepage. Now I am having second thoughts about this school.
By Adam rodriquez December 13, 2011 - 5:15 pm
This is a very unfair unnecessary rule that most people will not agree with and the fact that they think a stupid class to help you stop smoking is going to make up for it is just plain ignorant.
By Christina holder December 13, 2011 - 7:14 pm
Ready to see enrollment drop as well as grades? All people are going to do is stand near the roads to smoke a cigarette, which is going to make them late for class, and it is also going to cause traffic issues and have a high risk for auto-ped accidents…. This smoking ban is a tragedy waiting to happen…. Not a good move on your part ACC. First off, you should have offered smoking cessation classes (not that they really help) before you implemented the ban. Second, you should have explored all other options before considering the ban such as designated smoking areas that are large enough to hold more than 5 students (like at round rock).
By Ashley G December 14, 2011 - 2:06 pm
I will have to agree with Elizabeth. Just like her i do not smoke cigarettes but i think this is truly unfair. These days everyday is tough and if smoking a cig brings you back to a calm state then have at it. They are already punishing themselves by smoking, they know the horrible side effects. Let them be adults and make their own choices.
By Sonia P December 14, 2011 - 9:59 pm
Thank god! It’s going to smell half way decent now before entering the buildings and able to study outside without being having to smell or breathe in smoke. I’m not against smoking, but when too many people smoke by the entrances, it stinks pretty bad.
By Non-Smoker December 15, 2011 - 10:06 am
Smokeless tobacco is far more of a problem than cigarettes in my eyes. It is disgusting to see that nasty spit all over the sidewalks, and now we can expect to see more. All of the campains against smokers seem to me to be a waste of time; there are so many things in this world that are worth fighting for, why do we need to attack the smokers?
By Bronchitis suffered December 18, 2011 - 3:55 am
This policy may be a bad news for smokers but it is a good news for students who suffer with bronchitis like me. I have to hold my breath every time when I pass from one building to the next. And there were times that I couldn’t hold it long enough to pass all the smokers then I would be miserable for a few hours after that. It was awful. At least the smokers can learn to quit smoke but there is nothing I can do with my bronchitis problem.
By Ed Eberle December 18, 2011 - 6:47 pm
I am not a smoker but if ACC is going to ban a LEGAL product, what is next? How many complaints will it take to get ________________(you fill in the blank) banned? Let’s see, my list would start with loud cell phone talkers! Oh, and what about students that wear too much cologne? Or not enough? This is college, people!! How about we ban unenforceable rules? Y’all can’t even enforce the myriad rules that already exist, what makes you think you can enforce this? Arbitrary enforcement is the best you can hope to achieve.Is that what y’all want?
By Jessica December 20, 2011 - 2:56 pm
It’s really kind of sad that some people are getting so excited about this new policy because they will be greatly disappointed when they see nothing has changed. We do not have enough campus police to enforce this therefore people will still smoke including myself. The only difference will be no ashtrays which means there will be cigarette butts all over the ground. So it seems like this new policy will do the opposite of what ACC hoped – there will be more pollution…Maybe soon ACC will realize that the best choice is to give us a secluded smoking area with an ashtray…Then everyone can be happy rather than pissing off the majority of the student population…I think ACC will be sad to see the difference in enrollment rate next year
By Marcelo December 21, 2011 - 10:31 am
Greetings,
I believe the solution would be to create smoking zones away from entrances. If there were sections located a little out of the way but not to far to dramatically affect work and student schedules we could both benefit. I mean lets face it smoking is not illegal, if it’s outside and away from the general populace it is not lethal and the school doesn’t have a right to attempt to save a person from themselves. If students wish to smoke some of which have smoked for more than 20+ years then it’s their right to smoke. However, I understand it’s your property but I believe that if this is not handled appropriately like it wasn’t handled appropriately already that there will be issues. First of all ACC is not a high school or such you are governing over other adults that choose to go to your school not kids that have no choice. Secondly, you did not speak to these adults when making this policy which is strange because these adults pay for this school and your paychecks. If you were as educated as some of your students maybe you would realize that enforcement of policies not agreed upon by the people doesn’t usually work in America. A communist country or dictatorship country maybe however we are in neither and such we require a more educated approach. Thus, as stated earlier move to a smoking section policy and thus reduce your clean up costs and still provide for the adults that paid for your holiday gifts.
Thanks,
Marcelo
By Christin Covington December 22, 2011 - 3:38 pm
I wrote a paper for my English class on the reasons why this policy will fail miserably, and how unfair it is to ban one unhealthy thing, and not another. If you are going to make smoking against the rules, then maybe you should make food in the snack machine illegal too. Diabetes and heart disease kill tons of people too. I am going to continue to smoke on campus, because it is my choice and my right. They should have built a smoking area out of the way from the campus, so that everyone too good to walk through a little smoke will be happy. Smoking is a social thing, and so is college. Literally all of the friends I have made there, I made in the smoking area, half of them werent even smokers, and didn’t seem to have a problem. What about all the teachers I see chain smoking in between classes? Unhappy teachers may take their skills elsewhere.
By Eros Smith December 23, 2011 - 4:01 pm
Smoker’s force non-smokers to inhale harmful toxins by smoking in shared public spaces. Smokers can achieve the same effect they desire by “smoking” a electronic cigarette as real one with less cost to themselves and none to the others around them.
This is college… before thinking you have been backed into a corner or singled out. Research the alternatives! There isn’t a rational excuse anymore when technology has made available simple cost effective solutions to your unseemly drug habit.
By Alex December 26, 2011 - 9:33 pm
I used to smoke, but dont anymore and honestly dont care if people do smoke. Like everyone here has said it its your right to kill yourself by smoking cigarettes, but it is not your right to kill me because you want to smoke. I dont want to smell like an ashtray just from waking past you and trust me if you smoke you smell like an ashtray, no amount of cologne or perfume will cover it up. Texas state university passed this law last semester and you know what? No one smokes on campus anymore. all you smokers say your going to continue to smoke on campus, but the truth is that after that first ticket for smoking on campus, you will stop. And as for the admissions rate dropping, I highly doubt that since most people that attend acc do so because its cheap and convenient, so no they probably won’t see a drop in admissions. Unless of course those people wanted to part 6 times the tuition to travel 30 miles a day to got to texas state… Oh wait they have the same no smoking law there, shucks looks like your gonna have to deal with it.
By Christina Holder December 27, 2011 - 12:04 am
To Eros, who has never smoked a cigarette, and never tried an e-cigarette to see the difference has no right to say ‘they are just the same’ because they are not. All cigarettes taste and smoke differently, and e-cigarettes taste nothing and smoke nothing like any standard cigarette. I have been smoking for 8 years or so, and I have tried e-cigarettes, and all they made me do was want to smoke a real one right after… That was a waste of $25 to buy the damn thing.
As a smoker and an ACC student I WILL continue smoking on campus until they suspend my enrollment rights. This is not something they can take away from us no matter how hard they try!