HCC Considers Tobacco Free Policy

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A Hopkinsville smoking ban set to go into effect January first, is prompting the local community college to consider going tobacco free. Hopkinsville Community College president Jim Selbe says the city’s smoking ban requires changes to the campus’s current smoking policy. The campus now provides smoking huts for students and employees, but under the city ordinance, those huts must come down.

Selbe has spoken to campus organizations, and thinks it’s time for the school to cut out tobacco entirely. HCC would be the first community college campus in far western Kentucky to go tobacco free. Owensboro Community and Technical College is the other western Kentucky community college with a similar policy. Selbe says HCC’s policy would include smokeless tobacco, and would go into effect at the same time at the city ordinance.

Kentucky Community and Technical College System spokeswoman Kristi Middleton says Ashland Community and Technical College and OCTC are the only two KCTCS colleges so far that are completely tobacco free. Bluegrass Community and Technical College is “tobacco restricted,” which means there is only one outdoor smoking area designated at each BCTC campus, Middleton said.

"The other 13 KCTCS colleges all have smoke-free buildings and allow smoking outdoors only in designated areas or within a set distance from buildings or entrances," she said.