Students give their perspectives on the policy after it’s implementation

At the start of the fall semester, George Brown College (GBC) banned all smoking and vaping on college property, buildings and in vehicles. 

The no-smoking on campus policy also restricts students from smoking within nine meters of any entrance to the school. 

Just months later, it seems as though students are still not fully aware of what the parameters of the ban are. 

“I don’t know much about it, but I do see students smoking outside of the school premises,” said fashion management student, Jenny Mack.

She was happy that the ban was put into place but found that people are not following the rules.

“For students who are non-smokers, who walk by Kendal avenue or come from Dupont station, it’s disturbing for them,” she said.

According to the policy, the purpose of this ban is to protect the GBC community from the dangers of smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke.

The ban has been implemented for an entire semester, yet both smoking and non-smoking students alike do not feel the ban is successful; regardless of their support for it.

“Yes and no. I do and I sometimes can’t, most of the time it’s fairly quick,” said Dajon Daley, another fashion management student said about adhering to the new policy. 

Daley too admitted to seeing people still smoking on campus, despite the security measures in place to prevent it. 

As such, he believes the policy is not successful.

As for Neal Niewia Domski, a skilled trade student, he finds the no-smoking policy to be inconvenient. 

“A lot of people have to go further out and I don’t see this being a benefit because everyone continues to smoke,” he said. 

“I’d perhaps bring back the smoking areas in the upstairs (patio),” Domski added. 

Shortly after the no-smoking on campus policy was introduced at GBC, Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis. 

In Ontario, the new laws allow adults who are 18 years or older to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, which can be smoked in most outdoor spaces where smoking cigarettes are allowed. 

GBC does not currently have a policy in place following the legalization of cannabis, however there are guidelines.=

The guidelines limit possession to 30 grams as well and prohibits smoking anywhere on campus in adherence to GBC’s smoke-free policy.