The Board of Education is committed to providing students, staff, and visitors with a tobacco and smoke-free environment. The negative health effects of tobacco use for both users and nonusers, particularly in connection with second hand smoke, are well established. Further, providing a non-smoking and tobacco-free environment is consistent with the responsibilities of teachers and staff to be positive role models for our students.

"Tobacco" means any items containing the leaves of cultivated tobacco plants, in any form or amount, dried and processed. Products include, but are not limited to cigarettes, cigars, snuff, spit tobacco, smokeless tobacco or pipe tobacco."

For purposes of this policy, "use of tobacco" means to chew or maintain any substance containing tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, in the mouth to derive the effects of tobacco, as well as all uses of tobacco, including cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, or any other matter or substances that contain tobacco. In addition, it shall include the smoking of electronic, "vapor," or other substitute forms of cigarettes, clove cigarettes and any other lighted smoking devices for burning tobacco or any other substance.

In order to protect students and staff who choose not to use tobacco from an environment noxious to them, and because the Board does not condone smoking and/or the use of tobacco, the Board prohibits the use of tobacco or tobacco substitute products in school buildings, on school grounds, and at any school-sponsored function.

This policy shall apply at all times to any building, property or vehicle leased, owned or operated by the Board. This policy shall apply to any private building, or other property including automobiles or other vehicles used for school activities when students or staff are present.

No person shall distribute or use any tobacco product in any area described above at any time. In no case shall any student possess any tobacco product while on school grounds, in any County-owned vehicle or at any school-sponsored function.

Individuals supervising students off school grounds are prohibited from distributing or using any tobacco product while in the presence of students or at any time while engaged in any activities directly involving students.

No school or Board property, as defined in this policy, or school, county, publication may be used for advertising of any tobacco product.

Groups using areas described in this policy shall sign agreements with the Board agreeing to comply with this policy and to inform students, parents, and spectators by public address systems, if available, that this policy remains in force on evenings, weekends, and other times that school is not in session. A summary or copy of this policy shall be attached to all requests for use of school facilities.

Enforcement provisions for the public may include, but are not limited to: request to stop use or leave premises, deny access to school property and/or police notification.

Any employee violating the provisions of this policy shall be subject to the following:

West Virginia Board of Education policy 2422-.5, 4373
WV Code St. R. 126-99-1 (2005), St. R. 126-23-1 (2005), 16-9A-1 et.seq.
20 U.S.C. 6081 et seq.
U.S.D.O.E. Memorandum, 1995

Revised 3/31/09
Revised 4/17/12