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Betsy Thompson (right) presents Chancellor Leon Richards with Platinum Award.

On Monday, August 3, 2015, Kapiʻolani Community College was declared a Platinum Campus by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, for being a tobacco-free campus. There are 10 regional Offices of the Assistant Secretary of Health, and Hawaiʻi belongs to Region IX. Upon presenting a special certificate of recognition, Betsy L. Thompson, who is the deputy regional health administrator for Region IX, announced that Kapiʻolani CC is the first Platinum Campus in Hawaiʻi. There are only 16 Platinum Campuses in Region IX.

For Kapiʻolani CC, it all began when students brought their concern about tobacco use and the problems associated with smoking to campus administrators. Their concern became part of a major health initiative at the college.

During the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters, a collective endeavor led to the Tobacco Products Policy Task Force approving a recommendation for a tobacco-free campus as part of the overall Healthy Campus initiative. The endeavor included a fact finding survey issued to faculty, staff, and students, research and discussions by the task force that included members of all college constituencies, public forums held by Student Congress, and a smoke-out. Currently, the college is in the process of following the procedures in BOR Policy EP 10.102, Tobacco Products, October 2014, that includes informing the unions 60 days in advance, and the college community members 30 days in advance, of the policy implementation date.

Chancellor Leon Richards commented that, “Being recognized as a Platinum Campus reinforces Kapiʻolani CC’s commitment to encouraging a healthy lifestyle for everyone. The fact that the concern for tobacco use on campus came from students is most commendable, because serving as the next generation of leaders, they pursued what was best for the campus.”

In addition to being a Platinum Campus, Kapiʻolani CC is also the first campus in Hawaiʻi to join Healthy Campus 2020, the nationwide initiative based on Healthy People 2020 and led by the American College Health Association. The goal of Healthy Campus 2020 is to impact and improve the overall health of all students, faculty and staff on college campuses.

—By Louise Yamamoto

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