News
West Virginia Schools Ban Tobacco Use
By: Associated Press, Connor Briggs
Posted on:
West Virginia University's main campus and West Virginia Northern Community College's three campuses are going tobacco free.
WVU's Board of Governors voted Thursday in Charleston to ban tobacco use on the main campus in Morgantown. The ban is effective July 1, 2013.
The university says in a news release that an exemption could be granted for concerts and other events that draw a large number of off-campus visitors. But smoking would be restricted to designated outdoor areas.
West Virginia Northern's ban goes into effect Nov. 15, the date of this year's Great American Smokeout.
Robert Defrancis, dean of community relations for the Wheeling campus, says the college will educate the campus and community about why the ban is important.
"We do know that there needs to be some educational and informational components to it so that people understand why this would be a good thing," he said.
DeFrancis says he thinks the ban will improve the health of students, employees, and campus visitors.
The community college's board approved the rule in late April that bans the use of all tobacco products on the campuses in Wheeling, Weirton and New Martinsville.