MHCBE awarded for smoke-free fight

By Peggy Revell on June 28, 2018.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

Medicine Hat’s Catholic school division has been recognized for efforts to create a smoke-free environment.

The division was one of 16 Alberta municipalities, school boards and post-secondary institutions recognized by an alliance of Albertan health and recreation organizations with a “Smoke-Free Spaces” award.

“We have responsibility to make sure we work with our students and families to have a smoke free environment,” said superintendent Joe Colistro. The board recently took a “good look” at their existing policy and revised it to reflect the impending legalization of cannabis and the growing popularity of “vaping.”

“We broadened the scope,” said Colistro, as the use of tobacco products, and these other materials is strictly prohibited on board grounds.

Award winners will be supplied with signage, posters, decals, artwork and online resources to promote their new designation to residents, visitors, staff and students.

“We applaud these trail-blazing leaders for providing smoke-free indoor and outdoor environments for their residents, visitors, staff and students” Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking & Health, said in a press release. “Cannabis legalization has the potential to renormalize smoking and these public bodies have decided to get in front of this issue by extending their smoke-free policies to include any substance that can be smoked or vaped. We encourage all public bodies in Alberta to follow the lead of these exemplars.”

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