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803

TOBACCO/NICOTINE-FREE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Iowa law prohibits smoking in school district facilities and on school district grounds, including school vehicles. Additionally, it is the intention of the Board of Education to provide a healthy learning and working environment for employees, students, and visitors. No student, staff member or school visitor is permitted to use, or display any tobacco/nicotine products, including the use of look-a-likes where the original would include tobacco or nicotine at any time:

  • in any building, facility, or vehicle owned, maintained, leased, rented or chartered by the District
  • on any school grounds or property owned, maintained, leased, rented or chartered by the District, including athletic fields, sidewalks, and parking lots
  • at any school-sponsored or school-related event on-campus or off-campus.

In addition, no student is permitted to possess a tobacco/nicotine product, including the use of look-a-likes where the original would include tobacco or nicotine product.

The policy may permit tobacco/nicotine products to be included in instructional or research activities in our school buildings if the activity is conducted or supervised by the faculty member overseeing the instruction or research and the activity does not include smoking, chewing, or otherwise ingesting the tobacco/nicotine product.

Definition of School Grounds and Property
School grounds and property means and includes:

  • Land and school facilities owned, maintained, leased, rented or chartered by the District and used for the provision of academic, extracurricular programs and administration by the District
  • Playgrounds and recreational places
  • Portion of the land, school facilities and other facilities owned by municipalities, private entities or other individuals during those times when the school District has exclusive use of a portion of such land, school facilities, or other facilities for the provision of extracurricular programs

Definition of Tobacco/Nicotine Products and Tobacco/Nicotine Use
For the purposes of this policy, “tobacco/nicotine products” are defined to include cigarettes, cigars, blunts, bidis, e-cigarettes, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff, and any other items containing or reasonably resembling tobacco/nicotine or tobacco/nicotine products. “Tobacco/Nicotine use” includes smoking, chewing, dipping, or any other use of tobacco/nicotine products. It also includes the use of look-a-likes where the original would include tobacco or nicotine.

Enforcement of Tobacco/Nicotine Free School Environment
All individuals on school premises share in the responsibility for adhering to and assisting in compliance with this regulation. Persons failing to abide by the policy shall be required to extinguish and/or dispose of the tobacco/nicotine product and/or leave the school grounds and property immediately.

It shall be the responsibility of the administration to enforce this policy.

Students

  • Students who violate the policy will be treated in accordance with applicable policies, regulations, and procedures.

Employees

  • Employees who violate the policy will be considered as demonstrating insubordination and will be treated in accordance with applicable policies, regulations, and procedures.

Visitors/Volunteers

  • Community members who rent school facilities will be required to sign a statement indicating their assumption of the responsibility to adhere to the tobacco/nicotine free school environment policy. It will be their responsibility to maintain a tobacco/nicotine free environment. Violation of this policy by the members of a group may adversely affect that group’s future utilization of school grounds and property.
  • Visitors/Volunteers attending school functions will refrain from using or displaying tobacco/nicotine products:
    • in any building, facility, or vehicle owned, maintained, leased, rented or chartered by the District;
    • on any schools grounds and property owned, maintained leased, rented or chartered by the District including athletic fields, sidewalks and parking lots; and
    • at any school-sponsored or school-related event on-campus or off-campus.
  • Visitors/Volunteers who refuse to comply with requests to refrain from such use will be treated in accordance with applicable policies, regulations, and procedures.

 

Legal Reference:
Iowa Code §§ 142D; 279.8, .9; 297
20 U.S.C. 608
Goals 2000: Educate America Act, Pub. L. No. 103-227, 108 Stat. 125
House File 2212, Iowa General Assembly

  • Approved: 06-11-90
  • Revised: 04-05-93
  • Reviewed: 07-15-96
  • Revised: 04-14-97
  • Reviewed: 11-23-98
  • Revised: 06-25-07
  • Reviewed: 03-24-08
  • Revised: 12-10-12, 08-26-13, 04-10-18, 02-28-2022
  • Documents: 803
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