THOUSAND OAKS : Schools Will Ban Smoking March 1
Thousand Oaks school trustees approved a measure Thursday banning smoking on the district’s 27 campuses and all its property. The new policy will go into effect March 1.
For the past 12 years, smoking on school property has been limited to designated areas. But under the new policy, those areas will be eliminated.
Employees, students and visitors will now be prohibited from smoking on all property owned by the Conejo Valley Unified School District, officials said.
State and federal laws require that school districts adopt tobacco-free policies prohibiting smoking by July 1, 1995, to receive funding for programs that teach students about the dangers of tobacco use.
Conejo Valley Unified receives about $57,000 in funding annually for tobacco-use prevention programs, officials said.
New signs explaining the policy change will be posted March 1 at schools, and officials said they are prepared to enforce the new restrictions.
“We don’t anticipate a problem,” Supt. Jerry C. Gross said, but disciplinary action will be taken if necessary. Employees can be fired if they violate the policy, he said.
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