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Durham Catholic District School Board is revising our Code of Conduct and related administrative procedures to reflect new guidelines from the Ministry of Education about ensuring safe and healthy schools, and enforcement relating to alcohol, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, recreational cannabis and related products and illegal drugs, as per PPM 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Boards Codes of Conduct.
DCDSB has a newly revised Smoke and Tobacco Free Environment Administrative Procedure (PO407-1), which complies with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, Policy/Program Memorandum 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct (PPM128), Smoke, Tobacco and Vape Free Environment Policy (PO407) and the Smoke-Free Schools Enforcement Protocol.
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 prohibits smoking (tobacco and cannabis) and the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) at schools, on school grounds, and all public areas within 20 metres of these grounds. Anyone smoking or vaping on school property is guilty of an offence and if convicted may result in a fine under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017.
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 also prohibits the sale and supply of tobacco or e-cigarettes to anyone under 19 years of age. Anyone who sells or supplies tobacco or an e-cigarette to a student under 19 years of age is guilty of an offence and if convicted may result in a fine under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017.
The DCDSB policies and administrative procedures outlines enforcement mechanisms to address the possession, use and provision of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, nicotine products, recreational cannabis, alcohol and illegal drugs.
In the case of these substances being found in the possession of students, parents/guardians/caregivers must be notified, and the student must surrender the item(s) to the educator or administrator. Students would also be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in board policies and administrative procedures. Students involved in these incidents will receive support to learn from inappropriate behaviours and make choices that support continuing their learning.
Resources for Families
- Durham Region Health Department: Information and resources for families on tobacco and vaping from the Region of Durham.
- Tobacco and Vaping - Region of Durham
- Not an Experiment: Ontario-based interactive website focused on preventing the initiation and escalation of vaping among youth in Grades 7 -12.
- Consider the Consequences of Vaping: Health Canada online resource focused on engaging and educating youth in Grades 8-12 about vaping, including specific tools for educators.
- Vaping Education Resources: Ontario-based resources to provide educators with tools and activities to support elementary student learning, as well as a webinar series to support their own learning.
- School rules: provincial Code of Conduct: Government of Ontario website that explains the provincial code of conduct, and rules for cellphones, vaping, smoking and cannabis.