Smoke & Tobacco-Free Policy

100% Smoke and Tobacco-Free Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Midcoast Youth Center (“MYC”) is dedicated to providing its employees, volunteers, and visitors with a safe and healthy environment and recognizes that smoking and the use of tobacco products on our grounds is detrimental to the health and safety of everyone. MYC supports an environment where employees, volunteers, and visitors are not exposed to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and are supported in efforts to live tobacco-free. Therefore, MYC has adopted a 100% smoke and tobacco-free policy that exceeds state law (22 M.R.S.A. § 1580-A), effective 07/01/20.

This policy prohibits smoking, vaping, and the use of all tobacco products:

  • In all MYC owned, leased and affiliated buildings.
  • On MYC owned or leased grounds.
  • At all MYC sponsored events– both indoor and outdoor.
  • In all MYC owned, leased or rented vehicles.
  • In all personal vehicles parked on MYC owned, leased and affiliated property.
  • At all events hosted or organized by MYC.

This smoke and tobacco-free policy applies to all employees, volunteers, and visitors including organizers of, and attendees at, public events, including but not limited to, conferences, meetings, lectures, social events and/or cultural events using Midcoast Community Alliance owned, leased and affiliated property.

DEFINITIONS

A. “Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, pipe or joint, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, including hookahs and marijuana, whether natural or synthetic in any manner or in any form. “Smoking” also includes the use of an electronic smoking device which creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this policy. Non-smoked marijuana products including, but not limited to, edibles and dabs are also included in this policy.

B. “Tobacco” is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, cigarillos, bidis, kreteks; all smokeless and dissolvable tobacco products, including but not limited to, dip, spit/spit-less, chew, snuff, snus and nasal tobacco; and any product intended to mimic tobacco, containing tobacco flavoring or delivering nicotine, including but not limited to, electronic nicotine delivery systems, e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-hookahs, vape pen or any other product name or descriptor. Or the use of any other type of tobacco or nicotine product for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of tobacco in this policy. This does not include products specifically approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the purpose of cessation or nicotine replacement therapy.

PROCEDURES

This policy will be communicated through tobacco-free signs posted at all property entrances and throughout the facility, and through employee education, including being written into training manuals and new employee orientation. Everyone is required to comply with Midcoast Community Alliance’s tobacco-free policy. Enforcement of this policy will follow the standard procedures of the organization.

Information regarding tobacco treatment resources, such as the Maine QuitLink (1-800-QUIT-NOW), will be made available for tobacco users who are interested in quitting.