Want to dip, smoke, or chew? Then after Aug. 1, South Georgia State College isn’t the place to be. Per a vote back in March by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, all campuses as well as properties owned by the USG will be tobacco free. The policy will go into effect Aug. 1 at SGSC to prepare for fall semester, which begins Aug. 25.
The policy applies to all locations as well as employees, students, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors. Plus, all events hosted by SGSC, or on one of its locations, will be tobacco and smoke free, according to the policy. It is also applicable 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In the 2014 report from the Surgeon General, Assistant Secretary for Health and Safety Howard Koh stated, “Cigarette smoking remains the chief preventable killer in America, with more than 40 million Americans caught in a web of tobacco dependence.”
Marion Fedrick, the USG’s vice chancellor for Human Resources, comments, “Our aim with this policy is to preserve and improve the health, comfort and environment of employees and any persons occupying USG facilities”
The University System, along with campuses, will provide information on how to stop using tobacco for those interested in quitting.