100% Smoke, Vaping, and Tobacco-Free Policy
POLICY STATEMENT
Auburn Public Library is dedicated to providing its employees and visitors with a safe and healthy environment. Auburn Public Library is a 100% smoke and tobacco-free campus, effective September 26, 2023.
Auburn Public Library recognizes that smoking, vaping, and the use of tobacco products on our grounds are detrimental to the health and safety of everyone. This institution supports an environment where employees and visitors are not exposed to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and are supported in efforts to live tobacco-free. Therefore, Auburn Public Library has adopted a 100% tobacco-free campus policy, that exceeds state law (22 M.R.S.A. § 1580-A).
This policy prohibits all smoking, vaping, and the use of all tobacco:
- In all Auburn Public Library owned, leased, and affiliated buildings.
- On all Auburn Public Library owned or leased grounds.
- At all Auburn Public Library-sponsored events– both indoor and outdoor.
- In all Auburn Public Library owned, leased, or rented vehicles.
- In all personal vehicles parked on Auburn Public Library owned, leased, and affiliated property.
- At all events hosted or organized by Auburn Public Library.
The smoke and tobacco-free campus policy applies to all employees 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 Auburn Public Library-owned, leased and affiliated property are required to abide by Auburn Public Library’s smoke and tobacco-free policy.
DEFINITIONS
“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.
“Vaping” means the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol or vapor made from a liquid or dry material that is heated in an electronic-powered device, called an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. The liquid can contain flavoring, nicotine, or marijuana concentrates.
“Tobacco” is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, cigarillos, bidis, and 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, ehookahs, 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, through employee education, including being written into training manuals and new employee orientation. Everyone is required to comply with Auburn Public Library's tobacco-free policy. Enforcement of this policy will follow the standard procedures of the facility.
Tobacco treatment information is available for those interested in quitting, including about the Maine QuitLink (1-800-QUIT-NOW or MaineQuitLink.com). The Maine QuitLink offers a variety of phone- and web-based quit service options that are free, friendly, and confidential.