TUSTIN : Tustin Unified Now Smoke-Free District

A smoking ban approved by the Tustin Unified School District Board of Trustees last summer is now in effect.

Since Jan. 1, smoking or chewing tobacco is prohibited on district property, including inside district-owned vehicles.

The ban extends to ball games at the Northrup stadium at Tustin High School and adult education classes at Guinn Foss/Adult Education School.

Aside from providing a more healthy environment, Supt. David L. Andrews said the no-smoking policy would enable the district to continue receiving state grants for programs designed to reduce drug use, alcohol abuse and use of tobacco.

“We’re mandated to make the district smoke-free by 1996,” Andrews said. “It seemed like a good idea to start it now.”

He said the district is receiving close to $60,000 annually from the state for its smoke-free programs.

“This is part of the effort to make the state smoke-free by the year 2000,” he said.

Exempted from the smoking ban are the Sunday bingo games sponsored by a boosters’ club at Tustin High School. Andrews said the club was given a waiver until June.

Club officials persuaded school trustees that the smoking ban would hurt fund-raising efforts.

“We have discussions with club officials to move their bingo games to another facility,” Andrews said.

Signs with the district logo and no-smoking symbol have been posted in all district schools, offices and facilities.

The signs read: “Tobacco Free School District . . . In the interest of public health, it is a violation of TUSD Policy Numbers 1331,4156 and 4256 to use any tobacco product on district property.”

Andrews said they would ask people to cooperate in enforcing the ban and that they intend to call the police only if smokers become abusive when asked to stop smoking on district property.

He said enforcement would be most difficult at stadium and adult school facilities.

“We are not going to play hardball,” Andrews said. “We want to be reasonable. If the person becomes abusive, we’ll ask for police help, but I don’t think we’ll come to that.”