Tobacco Free Initiative Portland Community College Linda Reisser, Dean of Student Development, Casca

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Tobacco Free InitiativePortland Community
CollegeLinda Reisser, Dean of Student
Development, Cascade CampusFeb. 5, 2008
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Overview

• Chronology of PCC addressing tobacco use problems
  and moving toward tobacco-free environment
• Challenges
• Lessons

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My involvement?

• member of Student Development Committee in 2005
• appointed to Smoking Task Force
• learner about the effects of smoking and tobacco
  usage
• appreciator of the relationship between this
  issue and student access, health, and
  preparedness for the smoke-free working
  environments of the future

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PCCs Smoking Regulations (prior to 2008)

• Smoking is permitted only in exterior, designated
  smoking areas.
• Designated smoking areas are designated by signs
  depicting a cigarette enclosed with a green
  circle, with the text Smoking Permitted.
• Smoking is not permitted closer than 20 feet from
  any door, window, ventilation vent or air
  condition unit.
• Smoking is not permitted in or by any
  well-traveled passage or pathway to a college
  facility that may cause non-smokers undue
  exposure to secondhand smoke.

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PCC Policy included

• MAPS shall be available in a prominent and
  easily accessed area showing the Designated
  Smoking Area(s) for that facility.
• EDUCATION Kiosks shall be strategically placed
  at College facilities with Smoking Policy Rules
  Procedures information available in the form of
  flyers and/or pamphlets.
• COMPLIANCE All College employees, students,
  visitors and vendors are required to comply.
  Public Safety and staff will enforce the Smoking
  Policy Rules Procedures.
• SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS The College shall
  provide information about the Oregon Quit Line to
  staff, faculty, and students who request
  assistance to stop smoking or using other tobacco
  products

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Two campus Health and Safety Committees
recommended banning smoking

• Prompted by complaints about second-hand smoke,
  litter.
• Recommendation was referred by the Cabinet to the
  Educational Advisory Committee (EAC).
• EAC Included representatives from across the
  district (students, faculty, staff, or
  administration).
• EAC was a deliberative group that reviews policy
  issues (academic, curricular, student
  development, and student governance) and make
  recommendations to the District President. 

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September, 2005 - EAC referred issue to the
Student Development Subcommittee

• The SDC
• viewed a video of ABC News coverage of problems
  with smoking, following the death of news anchor,
  Peter Jennings
• reviewed memo from the College Architect
• summarized pros and cons related to banning
  smoking at PCC
• Read about smoking ban at Clark College in
  Vancouver, Washington (and other colleges)

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Recommendation from College Architect

• July 23, 2003
• I recognize that this idea may likely not be
  popular but I feel that it must be explored in
  our present tight economic climate. I think a
  strong case can be made for making PCC a smoke
  free institution and eliminating the use of all
  tobacco products at any of our facilities.
• His reasons included
• -the health of our staff and students,
  including risks from secondary exposure to
  tobacco smoke
• -the unsightly appearance of cigarette butts in
  receptacles, walks, and planted and paved areas
• - the direct expense to the College in cleaning
  up the cigarette butts, which he estimated at
  150,000 per year, not including the pressure
  washing needed to clean burn marks.

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December, 2005 SDC Recommended Smoking Ban

• Recommendations
• Prohibit smoking or other tobacco usage on any
  PCC properties, beginning in Fall, 2006.
• Create task force to plan the implementation of
  this ban in a way that promotes cessation of
  smoking, provides education about the health
  risks of tobacco use, and reflects compassion for
  tobacco users (to include students, faculty and
  staff, Public Safety officers, OSD staff,
  Physical Plant staff, and both smokers and
  non-smokers).

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March, 2006 - EAC referred issue to a Smoking
Policy Task Force

• Included
• - proponents and opponents - balance between
  campuses - balance between employee
  classifications - student voice
• Charge
• Review the current policy and determine if it can
  be enforced.
• Gather input from the entire college community.
• Hold campus forums (all campuses, all employee
  and student groups).
• Address the issue of enforcement, no matter what
  the policy.
• Provide a recommendation to the EAC regarding the
  issue.

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March, 2006 - Clark College banned smoking on
campus and in parking lots

• Rebecca Wale from Clark College came to the April
  meeting of the Task Force
• - provided a review of their four year process
  
• - discussed the kinds of research, input,
  and/or policy considerations in designing
  a plan.
• Rebeccas suggestions to the committee
• Look at cost of shelters (e.g. 10 shelters would
  cost 57,000).
• Document all sources when providing information.
• Use neutral communication with open dialogue
• Use the term Tobacco-Free vs. Smoking Ban.
• Emphasize student access and health issues.

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Numerous Problems Documented on PCC Campuses

• No maps or signs on campus designating smoking
  areas
• Inaccurate, misleading smoking signs on campus
• Ashtrays are placed close to buildings
• 20 foot signs are misplaced or missing
• No kiosks with smoking policy, flyers and
  pamphlets as the policy states
• No information about the Oregon Quit Line
• No enforcement

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Polling

• Institutional Research Office spent six months
  designing and piloting a survey. It could be
  taken only once, online.
• A poll of 4025 PCC staff and students (April,
  2007) showed a lack of agreement on what the
  policy should be.
• 29.5 preferred allowing smoking in designated
  outdoor areas
• 18.2 preferred allowing smoking only in shelters
  built for that purpose
• 17 preferred that smoking be prohibited near
  doorways and air inlets and allowed in all other
  outdoor areas
• 27 preferred that smoking be banned everywhere
  on PCC property
• 7.7 preferred allowing smoking in PCC parking
  lots only.

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Some areas of agreement

• 92 of staff and 89 of students feel that second
  hand smoke is a concern.
• 77 concerned about the effects of second-hand
  smoke they breathe at PCC.
• 36 of staff and 31 of students experience
  immediate health effects from second hand smoke
  they breathe at PCC.
• 58 of staff and 49 of students agree that
  reducing smoking areas is important to PCCs
  mission as a community college.

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June, 2007 - Smoking Policy Task Force
Recommended Tobacco-Free Environment.

• Recommendations
• prohibit tobacco use, with a carefully planned
  education and implementation process
• begin an educational phase related to tobacco use
  on campus that will inform the community, and
  allow for additional concerns and feedback to be
  expressed
• support a campaign for smoking cessation and a
  re-evaluation of existing smoking areas.  

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Debate

• EAC publicized the report and recommendation.
• E-mails flooded the campus, pro and con.
• EAC held hearings, at which there was passionate
  testimony.
• EAC leaders and administrative liaisons
  understood that there was not a consensus, or
  majority.
• Task Force Recommendation was not adopted.

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EAC Recommendation to Cabinet

• Adopt a strategy which would allow efficient
  enforcement of the current policy.
• Provide smoking cessation/education campaign.
• Discuss problems related to tobacco use at the
  individual campus level.

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November, 2007 Back to the Campuses

• District President instructed Campus Presidents
  to
• assign this issue to a campus committee to begin
  the discussions and determine logistical
  challenges to include locations for smoking,
  ventilation, signage, etc.
• review a white paper provided by the Deans of
  Students (which advocated action to solve the
  problems)
• make recommendations

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Debate Continues. Support builds.

• OHSU went tobacco-free in September, 2007.
• In December, 2007, PCCs Faculty Federation
  recommended
• restricting smoking to parking lots only, in
  order to move second-hand smoke away from the
  core areas of the campus.
• modeling its enforcement policy on OHSUs, which
  focuses on asking people to cooperate with the
  policy, and offering them support if they want to
  quit.
• The District Student Council endorsed this
  proposal.
• Ty Patterson, Director of the Center of
  Excellence for Tobacco-Free Campus Policy (Ozarks
  Technical Community College) met with campus
  leaders.
• Coalition for a Tobacco-Free PCC was formed.

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District President Decision

• March, 2008 - Campus presidents make
  recommendations. One campus recommends a
  tobacco-free college starting Fall Term, 2009.
• June, 2008 PCC District President announces
• PCC will become tobacco-free at the beginning
  of Fall Term 2009.
• February, 2009 - PCC Board will act on formal
  resolution in, following public testimony in
  November, 2008.

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Fall, 2008 First Steps

• District Tobacco-Free Steering Committee
  established in September, 2008.
• Student-staff-community coalition formed
• Oregon Quit Line brochures, cards, and posters
  distributed.

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Phasing in

• Fall 2008 Term
• Consistent signage at entrances to College sites
  saying Smoking in Designated Areas Only
• Removal of all things that might legitimize
  smoking in non-authorized areas, including signs
  saying No Smoking Within 20 Feet of Doors
• New maps, brochures, information cards
• PCC website updated announcements posted
• Smoking cessation information and links on MyPCC
  under Employee and Student tabs

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Challenges

• Getting buy-in on a major change
• efforts to hold forums, visit Neighborhood
  Associations
• hearings, email comments
• Reluctance of decision-makers to mandate
  (especially in academia)
• Fear of alienating students, co-workers,
  neighbors (visceral responses)
• Resistance to feeling pressured
• Surveys - help or hindrance?
• No staff member for health/wellness (no ones job
  to lead the effort)
• Battle fatigue in advocates
• hearing the same objections over and over again
• objectors werent reading the studies or reports
• over 10 years of complaints about smoking, but no
  resolution
• 4 committees recommended tobacco-free college
• referral back to the campus presidents after 2
  years of debate

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What have we learned?

• It takes a concerted effort by a few dedicated,
  persistent leaders
• Trying for consensus prolongs the problem.
• Influencing the presidents is critical.
• positions by Faculty Federation and District
  Student Council
• input from influential people
• news coverage, editorials
• A decision made at the top makes it easier to
  move forward.
• Help from external resource people and
  organizations has been valuable.
• Clark College and OHSU
• American Lung Association
• Multnomah County Health Dept.
• TPEP Oregon Public Health Division

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Next Steps

• Hire coordinator to work with campus advisory
  groups, students/staff/faculty.
• Plan new information campaign.
• Create new signs.
• Create compliance plan write rules.
• Identify training needs.
• Determine need for additional education/cessation
  initiatives.