Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. school board members approved adding electronic smoking devices, also known as e-cigarettes, to the school corporation’s tobacco use policy.
The updated policy was unanimously passed by the school board on Monday and classifies Juuls, a brand of e-cigarettes, and e-cigarettes as substances that contain tobacco and nicotine, and prohibits students from using these devices on school property.
The Columbus City Council passed a similar public e-cigarette ban earlier this month. The citywide ban will go into effect Oct. 19.
“In order to protect all students from an environment that might be harmful to them, the school board prohibits the use and/or possession of tobacco by students in school buildings, on school grounds, on school buses or any school-related event,” the current policy reads.
“For purposes of this policy, use of tobacco shall mean all uses of tobacco, including cigar, cigarette, pipe, snuff or any other matter, substance or innovation that contains tobacco or nicotine.”
The revised policy adds Juuls and e-cigarettes to the list of prohibited substances, “although by practice and by school handbooks, we were addressing issues with vaping and electronic cigarettes,” said Jim Roberts, BCSC superintendent, during the school board meeting on Monday.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
