DC campuses are smoke-free under Regional bylaw and policy

This message is shared on behalf of Tom Lynch, director, Office of Campus Safety.

The Regional Municipality of Durham has recently amended its smoke-free bylaw to include post-secondary educational institutions. As such, please be reminded that the Durham College (DC) Oshawa and Whitby campuses are smoke-free.

As stated in the Region’s bylaw and supported by the college’s smoke-free policy, smoking and/or vaping of any type including tobacco, cannabis and shisha is prohibited anywhere on the Oshawa and Whitby campuses and all on campus student residences. Please become familiar with the Region’s bylaw and the college policy as they provide clarity regarding enforcement and apply to all members of the DC campus community.

The Office of Campus Safety (OCS) enforces the smoke-free campus policy through focusing on education, awareness and voluntary compliance. Additionally, as outlined in the policy, all individuals found to be smoking on campus must provide identification to security upon request. This information will be forwarded in confidence to the OCS in the case of students and visitors or to Human Resources in the case of employees for follow-up. Non-compliance of the smoke-free policy will be addressed through informal provisions contained within existing student and employee conduct policies where appropriate.

While the formal enforcement of this policy currently falls to campus security and the OCS, we are confident that as a campus community, we can contribute to maintaining the smoke-free campus through respectful, thoughtful and cooperative interventions.

DC will continue to work with students and employees on an individual basis, who are prescribed cannabis for medical reasons. The college also offers a number of smoking cessation supports to students through the Campus Health Centre.

Adherence to the Region’s bylaw and DC’s policy is everyone’s role and providing a healthy and safe work and learning environments for all members of our campus community is our priority.

Please visit the smoke-free webpage with detailed FAQs for more information.