Algonquin College announces interim smoke-free policy

Posted on Friday, October 5th, 2018

President Cheryl Jensen’s message to College community on Oct. 5, 2018:

Good afternoon,

As you know, I recently announced that we would begin College-wide consultations about moving toward smoke-free campuses in Ottawa, Perth and Pembroke.

We will be launching consultations very soon, but I wanted to update you on a change of plans we are implementing as a result of the recent Ontario Government introduction of Bill 36, Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018 that will allow cannabis smoking wherever tobacco is permitted.

We will have a new interim policy that will be in place from Oct. 15, 2018 until Jan. 1, 2019. During this time, our campuses will be smoke-free and we will conduct full consultations to understand the potential impact and develop a permanent policy.

We believe this is the right thing to do for our employees and our students.

We also understand that this is an adjustment and so we are taking a lighter approach to enforcement during this interim period. We will be relying in part on the goodwill of our College community, but would remind everyone that we have always had a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to the vicinity of the Early Learning Centre.

For those who have prescriptions for medical marijuana, we will uphold the status quo during the interim period.

We have launched a website – algonquincollege.com/smokefree – to provide information about the interim policy, next steps and support resources for students and employees who have been impacted.

Sincerely,

Cheryl


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