SUMTER - Central Carolina Technical College Thursday its plan to join a national movement addressing smoking and tobacco use on community college campuses throughout the United States.
Through a $5,000 grant from Legacy, a national public health organization responsible for the national Truth Smoking Prevention Program, CCTC will encourage students, faculty and school administrators to adopt a 100-percent smoke- and tobacco-free policy in Fall 2016.
“We are truly excited to start the process to make Central Carolina Technical College a safe, healthy and productive environment,” said CCTC Vice-president of business affairs and College Wellness Team Chairman Terry Booth. "The health benefits of reducing secondhand smoke exposure are invaluable and could also help students prepare for the workforce where smoke-free policies are already the norm."
CCTC is one of 38 community colleges around the country receiving funds, technical support and training from Legacy. The project will be led by the college’s Wellness Team, which includes staff and faculty committed to providing healthy campus initiatives.
Throughout the next year, CCTC will engage the campus community to address tobacco use. A taskforce will be formed to oversee the project, assess tobacco use behavior and attitudes, conduct prevention and educational activities and identify a treatment plan for current smokers. If the task force votes to propose a smoke- or tobacco-free policy, it must first be approved by the College’s Area Commission.
CCTC’s efforts are part of a growing trend to clean the air on campuses. Currently, more than 1,500 higher education institutions in the United States have gone smoke- or tobacco-free, including 330 community colleges. Through its first round of grants, the Legacy Community College Initiative hopes to reach more than 500,000 community college students and nearly 40,000 faculty and staff across 18 states.
“With 99 percent of smokers starting before age 27, college campuses are critical platforms for preventing young adults from starting tobacco use, aiding those current tobacco users in quitting and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke for all,” said Legacy CEO and President Robin Koval. "We are looking forward to supporting CCTC's efforts to make smoking and tobacco use a thing of the past."
Today, 42 million Americans still smoke, and 22.5 percent of South Carolina adults smoke compared to the 19.6 percent national average. Tobacco use remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in this country. Research also shows that there are dire health consequences for non-smokers too. Secondhand smoke exposure causes cancer and cardiovascular disease among other secondhand smoke diseases, responsible for more than 41,000 deaths in the U.S.
Community colleges in the U.S. serve almost half – 45 percent – of the undergraduate student population. With an enrollment of nearly 13 million, community colleges serve as an entryway to higher education for many students of color, low-income and first generation college degree earners.
“The grant from Legacy has set us up for success and I’m positive we can achieve our goals,” Booth said. “We are going to hit the ground running with our plan so that we can finally take a breath of fresh air on campus.”
