CU goes tobacco-free

CASTLETON—Castleton University announced Thursday that it will be joining nearly 2,000 colleges and universities across the country in becoming a tobacco free campus beginning Aug. 1.
In November the Vermont State Colleges board of trustees unanimously approved a measure to ensure all VSC institutions will be tobacco free by July 1, 2019. Castleton will become the first to enact the policy, following UVM and St. Michael’s, which recently enacted similar policies.
“The VSC, Castleton University, and the state of Vermont all recognize the health hazards of smoking, secondhand smoke, and other forms of tobacco use,” said President Dave Wolk. “We are committed to providing our community with a clean and healthy environment in which to live, work, and study and we are proud to join the many other colleges and universities across the country who have taken this important step.”
The goal of the working group led by Dean of Students Dennis Proulx and Director of Human Resources Janet Hazelton is to implement a policy that not only protects non-smokers from unwanted and involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, but also provides a supportive environment for tobacco users striving to quit.
The working group will hold a community forum on March 30 at 4 p.m. in the 1787 Room of the Campus Center to explain the details of the policy, answer questions, and allow the community to provide meaningful input on resources available as the university moves forward with implementation.
As a key partner with the Rutland Regional Medical Center, local public schools, and other local business partners, Castleton is proud to join in providing a tobacco-free environment.