MCC to go tobacco-free in October

McHenry County College will go completely tobacco-free Oct. 1, and those caught smoking on the Crystal Lake campus could incur a hefty fine.

The tobacco-free campus policy, which was approved by the board of trustees in late August, will eliminate the college’s three smoking areas and includes all forms of tobacco and the use of electronic cigarettes.

“The goal of becoming a tobacco-free campus is to promote a safe, clean and healthy learning environment for our students, employees and community patrons,” MCC Director of Health and Wellness Lena Kalemba said in a press release.

The policy was initiated by student groups and later studied by a campus committee for nearly two years before being brought to the board of trustees. The committee included students, staff and administrators.

As a part of the process, surveys were sent out to employees and students in February. That data showed 73 percent of employees and 67 percent of students were in favor of the ban.

Violators will be referred to the appropriate administrative office for review and could be subject to citations and a fine by campus police. First-time violators would be fined $50, a second violation would cost $100, and subsequent citations could go as high as $250, depending on the nature of the violation, according to officials.

Failure to pay the fines will result in an academic restriction being placed on the student’s record.

Campus police have been in “education mode,” letting smokers know about the new restrictions, officials say.

Officers have been handing out stress balls and “No Smoking” mints, as well as informing campus-goers of the October roll out.

“We believe the educational component will go a long way in gaining cooperation on the new policy rather than just enforcement only,” said Michael Clesceri, campus safety and security director. “This is truly going to take a cooperative effort.”