The Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine will hold an awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in Augusta, Maine to celebrate the efforts of Maine colleges and universities to address smoking and tobacco use on their campuses. The event will celebrate the 2016 Maine Tobacco-Free College Network’s (MTFCN) Gold Star Standards of Excellence Recognition Program award winners. Eleven Maine schools and two individual champions are being recognized for their achievements in advancing their campus smoke and tobacco-free policies as well as promoting tobacco-free lifestyles for their communities.
The annual Gold Star Standards of Excellence Program recognizes institutions of higher education for their efforts to address smoking and tobacco use on campus. All Maine colleges and universities are encouraged to apply for recognition, and participating institutions that meet at least six of ten Gold Star Standards are recognized with a plaque. Award levels are based on best practice criteria such as a smoke and tobacco-free campus policy, tobacco treatment information availability for students, faculty and staff, prohibiting tobacco product distribution on campus, and divestment of all tobacco investments.
The 2016 Awardees include; at the Gold level, meeting all ten standards: Central Maine Community College, Kaplan University, Kennebec Valley Community College, Northern Maine Community College, Saint Joseph’s College, The University of Maine, University of Maine at Presque Isle, University of New England, University of Southern Maine and York County Community College. At the Silver level, meeting eight standards, Unity College. This year, MTFCN will recognize two Individual Gold Star Champions, Deidre Thompson from York County Community College and Malinda Scannell from University of Southern Maine.
“Colleges and universities seek to create a healthy and safe environment to learn, live and work. Addressing tobacco use on campus is an example of this commitment and benefits students, faculty, staff and visitors. We are pleased to be able to recognize the achievements of these schools through the Gold Star Standards of Excellence Program,” said Sarah Mayberry of the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine.
The awards ceremony provides an opportunity for schools that apply for recognition as well as those who did not to come together share successes and challenges of their efforts to create smoke and tobacco-free campus environments and promote tobacco-free lifestyles. MTFCN acknowledges the challenges schools face when first adopting campus policies and initiatives. It is ongoing support to address smoking and tobacco use on campus that is an important health and environmental strategy for all schools. Providing an opportunity to be able to come together and share is an important avenue that leads to success. This year MTFCN will be releasing a Portfolio of Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus Case Studies to provide additional insight for institutions
To learn more about the Maine Tobacco-Free College Network Gold Star Standards of Excellence and its services, please visit
www.MaineTobaccoFreeCollegeNetwork.org or contact the Coalition at 874-8774.
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The 2016 MTFCN Awards Celebration and Networking event will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, from 11:00am-1:00pm in the Dirigo Room at the Bangor Savings Bank (5 Senator Way, Augusta, Maine). To RSVP please go to
www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016MTFCNGSSE or call Meg at 207-482-5027.
The Maine Tobacco-Free College Network (MTFCN) is an initiative of the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine (BEC) and comprised of a diverse membership who represent colleges, public health organizations and individuals interested in supporting best practice smoke and tobacco-free policy changes at colleges and universities. The initiative encourages institutions of higher learning to address the adverse health effects of environmental tobacco smoke by implementing smoke and tobacco-free policies on their grounds in order to promote a healthier environment. The Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine is funded by the Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. The Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine and Maine Tobacco-Free College Network are housed in the city of Portland’s Public Health Division.
To learn more, please visit
www.mainetobaccofreecollegenetwork.org,
www.BreatheEasyMaine.org or contact BEC at 874-8774.
