Thank you MSBSD for passing ‘Gold Star Tobacco Free Campus Policy’

To the editor:

The Mat-Su Borough School District School Board showed once again that it believes in and supports the total health and wellness of all Valley residents by unanimously passing the state of Alaska’s Gold Star Tobacco Free Campus Policy on Sept. 22.

The following organizations were represented in support: Alaska Family Services, United Way Mat-Su, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Thrive Mat-Su, Breathe Free Mat-Su, Smokefree Anchorage, American Lung Association of Alaska, and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. In addition, five individuals testified in favor of passing the policy: Melissa Mudd (MSBSD), Robin Minard (Mat-Su Health Foundation), Terry Snyder (ACS-CAN), Misty Jensen (Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, AFS), and Cheryl Dalena (ANTHC).

In March 2011 when the previous policies were passed, there was no grading system in place. Since then, there have been six levels identified, including Gold Star Status. In order to achieve that, some missing components needed to be updated, such as specifying and stating explicitly that the MSBSD will not accept tobacco industry funds and gifts, will not distribute tobacco products, and that tobacco prohibitions at school events included those on- and off-campus. Additionally, the new policy takes into account emerging products and prohibits not only e-cigarettes, but any other forms of non-FDA approved nicotine delivery devices.

The most important reasons for creating and maintaining a strong school policy are:

• To reinforce norms regarding tobacco use

• To protect children from developing an addiction to tobacco

• To protect the community from secondhand smoke and provide more nonsmoking environments

• To counteract the tobacco industry’s targeting of children

• For adults to model healthy behavior

• To prepare students for a tobacco-free world

Comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs use a combination of evidence-based best practices to change the social norms and support the non-use of tobacco, the most important being strong policy for nicotine and tobacco-free environments, restricting youth access, and counter-marketing.

Hearty congratulations go out to all of those who played a role in drafting the policy and bringing it before the school board, and to the school board itself for passing this important policy and being a leader in tobacco prevention and the health and wellness of our community and children.

Misty Jensen

Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Manager, Mat-Su/Anchorage

Alaska Family Services

Palmer