ONTARIO’S FIRST 100 PER CENT SMOKEFREE CAMPUS

1 BUTT OUT OR GET OUT

McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., is planning to ban smoking on campus by 2018, making it the first Ontario post-secondary institution to issue a prohibition on the use of tobacco and soonto-be-legal marijuana on its grounds. Allowing smoking to go on any longer would have been at odds with what the school said was “globally recognized” research in the health and “societal wellbeing.” University president Patrick Deane said the ban was a next step in “fulfilling our responsibilities as educators.”

2 NOT EVEN IN YOUR CAR

McMaster said the new rule — which was apparently written with input from students — not only covers all the university’s outdoor properties, but also any private vehicles parked on campus. That provision is meant to protect passing students, staff and faculty from second-hand smoke, dean of students Sean Van Koughnett told The Canadian Press. The school said it would make exceptions on request, recognizing “the unique relationship that many Indigenous cultures have with traditional and sacred medicines.” Van Koughnett gave Indigenous smudging ceremonies as an example.

3 THE PUNISHMENT

The university will gradually phase in its enforcement efforts on the ban, starting on Jan. 1, 2018. For the first few months, scofflaws will be slapped with a referral to “a cessation program or given access to supports and resources.”

4 A PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE ON LEGAL WEED

The university said those who need marijuana for therapeutic purposes will still be included in the ban, but suggested that they try using edible products. With the federal government expected to legalize weed next year, the Canadian Cancer Society said it expects the smoke-free campus movement to accelerate.

5 CANADA’S 14TH SMOKE-FREE CAMPUS

Of the few colleges and universities to fully ban smoking, most are concentrated on the East Coast. Dalhousie University in Halifax was among the first to take the step in 2003. Yukon is the only province or territory requiring campuses to be smoke-free. And in Quebec, legislation set to take effect in November will require all its post-secondary schools to at least implement a smoking policy.