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St. John Fisher announces smoke/tobacco/vape-free policy

St. John Fisher college campus plans to reopen in the fall.
St. John Fisher College
St. John Fisher college campus plans to reopen in the fall.

St. John Fisher College will become a smoke, tobacco and vape-free campus as of January 1, 2020.

The new policy prohibits smoking, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices, in all college buildings and campus grounds, including college-owned vehicles. This also includes parking lots, fields, stadiums, and recreational areas.

It expands upon the current policy at Fisher which bans smoking/vaping/tobacco inside any building and outside you must be 50 feet from any building.

Officials say the move to adopt the new policy began when undergraduates in the Student Nurses Association brought forth a proposal to the Student Government Association.

Following a student vote in favor of such a policy, College President Gerard Rooney convened a task force led by Dianne Cooney Miner, dean of the Wegmans School of Nursing, and Christine Birnie, dean of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, to begin a campus-wide discussion about Fisher becoming a smoke-free campus.

“This policy is part of the College’s commitment to creating a healthy and sustainable environment for all members of the campus community,” said Rooney, in a message to campus about the new policy.

Jonelle Mattiacio, assistant professor of biology in the School of Arts and Sciences, said that in a recent survey, 82 percent of Fisher student respondents agreed that colleges have a responsibility as part of their mission to promote healthy behaviors and to adopt policies that ensure people have smoke-free air to breathe.

St. John Fisher will work with Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield to offer individual and group cessation programming and the task force will create educational and informational sessions to provide additional support and resources for members of the campus community.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.