A Tobacco Control Policy & Legal Resource Center
Supporting Smokefree Air & Tobacco-Free Lives

Belleville Board Of Education votes to designate smoke-free zones at schools (Belleville Times, Roman j. Uschak)

Posted on

On October 22, 2015, the Belleville Times reported that the Belleville Board of Education passed a resolution to establish smoke-free zones in the Belleville school district.
This resolution is set to do the following:

  • Make it unlawful for Belleville students at both the elementary and secondary school levels to use cigarettes or other tobacco products, or even have them in plain public view, on school grounds.
  • Extend the smoke-free school zone within 1,000 feet of any Belleville school building, and would be in effect on school days from one hour before class or other school activities began, to one hour after they ended.
  • Authorize police officers to issue summons to offenders not more than 30 days after he or she reasonably believed that the resolution had been violated.
  • Penalties would come in the form of a fine and/or community service. Money from the fines would help fund DARE or related programs.

The Belleville Township Council is slated to meet on October 27, 2015 for a discussion and possible vote. It is not however readily apparent if the board’s smoke-free zone resolution is on the council’s agenda.