INNISFAIL - The Chinook’s Edge School Division is committed to protecting students and staff from the dangers of tobacco use, and to encouraging smoking cessation across the education community, says superintendent Kurt Sacher.
“I can assure you our staff and our administrators are going out of their way to support kids in the way parents would want them to, to protect them from tobacco use and any influence in that regard,” said Sacher.
“Our staff goes out of their way to bring in different groups that present around the importance of cessation and avoiding smoking.”
Sacher’s comments come in the wake of a "report card" issued last week by an anti-smoking group that gave the division a failing grade.
The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) organization issued its Alberta School Board Tobacco Policy Report Cards last week, grading numerous school boards across the province, including the Innisfail-headquartered Chinook’s Edge.
In compiling the report cards, ASH said it examined each school division’s policies regarding smoking in the following areas: organization; smoke-free environment; enforcement; tobacco education and cessation; and youth possession.
Although eight school districts received A grades, Chinook’s Edge received a D.
Chinook’s Edge was given one point out of a possible 10 in organization, 7.5 out of 10 in smoke-free environment, zero out of 10 for enforcement, zero out of 10 for tobacco education and cessation, and zero out of 10 for youth possession.
Specifically in the area of tobacco education and cessation, the report card gave the division a zero on the following policy items: education opportunities about tobacco and cessation for students; included educational opportunities about tobacco use and cessation for staff; provides access to effective cessation treatment for students; provides access to effective cessation treatment for staff; offers referrals to community cessation programs.
ASH executive director Les Hagen said the report cards are issued to prompt school divisions to take action to reduce smoking.
“The report cards will help guide the development of policies to prevent and reduce substance abuse among students and staff,” Hagen said.
“Specifically we recommend that school districts prohibit smoking and vaping of any substance on school property for maximum health impact. Children and youth should not be exposed to harmful drug use on school property and they should be offered effective drug prevention education in the classroom.
“We are releasing these report cards in good faith and we are very willing to work with any school district to help enhance their policies and programs. We know that cannabis legalization is posing numerous challenges to school boards and we are here to offer assistance and online resource materials.”
Superintendent Sacher says although the division applauds ASH efforts to reduce youth smoking, the division disagrees with the report card’s conclusions about Chinook’s Edge.
“I think there’s a group (ASH) there with great intentions in what they are trying to do, but unfortunately I think they are using a bit of a public shaming process based on what I would call a questionable rubric,” said Sacher.
“I think it really gives the public the wrong perception about the variation between school divisions and what’s really happening. They are worried about wordsmithing and we are worried about what is actually happening.
“I appreciate what that group is trying to do and they have some really valuable material. I would encourage them to be proactive with school divisions rather than publicly insulting our staff.”
Chinook’s Edge administrative procedure AP 3-1 regarding student substance abuse has the stated purpose to “ensure that students understand that the use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and non-prescription drugs is detrimental to the learning process and therefore prohibited in schools, on school property or during school related activities.”
The procedure includes a requirement that schools “shall ensure that educational programs include components designed to increase students' knowledge of the facts relating to controlled substances and alcohol, cannabis and tobacco.”
The complete procedure can be found on the Chinook’s Edge website.
A call to ASH executive director Hagen seeking comment was not returned at press time Monday
