Smoking ban faces revisions

Groton schools respond to changes like vapor products, e-cigarettes

Groton — Acknowledging that it must stay ahead of changing trends in smoking habits, the Groton Board of Education is mulling an expansion of its smoking policy.

The “Smoking in School Facilities” policy, which board member Rosemary Robertson pointed out is really about not smoking in school facilities, has not been updated since 2011.

“It’s one of those things that we have to keep ahead of, and now that we have the electronic stuff and the vaping, we really had to update,” Robertson said.

She is a member of the policy committee, which put forth the resolution based on suggested policy from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

In a second reading of the policy on Monday evening, the school board opted to send the measure back to the policy committee, after board member Andrea Ackerman raised questions about the meaning of some sentences and objected to some wording.

Since the policy came from CABE, members of the policy committee were unable to answer her questions.

The current Smoking in School Facilities policy, only four sentences, defines smoking as “lighting or carrying of a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe or similar device or the use of tobacco in any form.”

It states that nobody may use tobacco in a building or on the grounds of any school district facility, and that tobacco use is prohibited at school-sponsored activities.

The new, longer policy expands the list of smoking products to define and include electronic nicotine delivery system, liquid nicotine container and vapor product.

Robertson noted that the inclusion of new terms is important because students can put substances other than nicotine in electronic nicotine delivery systems, a distinction the new policy notes.

The new version states that if a school employee leaves school property to smoke, he or she is acting outside “the normal course and scope of employment.”

But it adds that support and counseling will be made available to staff and students trying to quit smoking, an option not specified in the standing policy.

Board chairwoman Kim Shepardson Watson said penalties for violating the policy will be up to administrators. The Board is also considering a separate policy on smoking, drinking and use of drugs on school premises.