File:  ADC - Tobacco-Free Schools

The Board believes that tobacco in the school and work environment is not conducive to good health.  As an educational organization, the District should provide both effective educational programs and a positive example to students concerning the use of tobacco.

In order to promote the general health, welfare, and well-being of students and staff, smoking, chewing or any other use of any tobacco products by staff, students, and members of the public shall be banned from all school property. Possession of any tobacco product by students is also prohibited on school property.

For purposes of this policy, the following definitions shall apply:

1.  "School property" shall mean all property owned, leased, rented, or otherwise used or contracted for by a school, including but not limited to the following:

a.  All indoor facilities and interior portions of any building or other structure used for students or children under the age of 21 for instruction, educational or library services, routine health care, daycare, or early childhood development services, as well as for administration, support services, maintenance, or storage.  The term shall not apply to buildings used primarily as residences, i.e., teacherages.

b.  All school grounds over which the school exercises control including areas surrounding any building, playgrounds, athletic fields, recreation areas, and parking areas.

c.  All vehicles used by the District for transporting students, staff, visitors or other persons.

d.  At a school-sanctioned activity or event.

2.  "Tobacco product" means:

a.  Any product that contains nicotine or tobacco or is derived from tobacco and is intended to be ingested or inhaled by or applied to the skin of an individual, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, or liquid nicotine/e-liquids; and

b.  any electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine to the person inhaling from the device, including but not limited to an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, or pipe.

c.  "Tobacco product" does not include any product that has been approved by the appropriate federal agency as a tobacco use cessation product.

3.  "Use" shall mean lighting, chewing, smoking, ingestion, inhaling, vaping or application of any tobacco product.

Signs shall be posted in prominent places on all school property to notify the public that smoking or other use of tobacco products is prohibited in accordance with state law and Board policy.  This policy will be published in employee and student handbooks, posted on bulletin boards, and announced in staff meetings.

Any member of the general public considered by the superintendent or designee to be in violation of this policy shall be instructed to leave School District property.  Employees found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Disciplinary measures for students who violate this policy will include in-house detention, revocation of privileges, and exclusion from extracurricular activities. Repeated violations may result in suspension from school. In accordance with state law, no student will be expelled solely for tobacco use.

Adopted August 22, 1995
Revised August 27, 2003
Revised June 26, 2012
Revised October 1, 2020

LEGAL REFS.:    20 U.S.C. 7181 et seq.  (prohibits smoking in any indoor facility used to provide educational services to children.)

C.R.S. 18-13-121 (furnishing tobacco products to persons under 21 years old)

C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(bb) (policy required prohibiting use of tobacco products on school grounds)

C.R.S. 22-32-109.1 (2)(a)(I)(H) (policy required as part of safe schools plan)

C.R.S. 25-14-103.5 (tobacco use prohibited on school property)

C.R.S. 25-14-301 (Teen Tobacco Use Prevention Act)

CROSS REFS.:   IHAMA, Teaching about Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco

KFA, Public Conduct on School Property