Mt. San Antonio College provides the full college experience without the full college debt. As one of the largest community colleges in California, Mt. SAC is known for providing a top-tier education and extensive student services.
          The campus sits on 420 rolling acres in Walnut, California, located on the eastern edge of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city of Walnut is considered one of the Best Small Towns to Live In by Money Magazine. A diverse suburb, Walnut is known for its nationally renowned schools and equestrian community. The city combines the charms of rural living with the benefits of being just 25 miles from Downtown Los Angeles and its incredible cultural and recreational activities.
          Mt. San Antonio College serves everyone, from residents to working professionals and international students. Its local College District boundaries encompass the communities of Baldwin Park, Bassett, Charter Oak, Covina, Diamond Bar, the southern portion of Glendora, Hacienda Heights, City of Industry, Irwindale, La Puente, La Verne, Pomona, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, Valinda, Walnut, and West Covina.
https://www.mtsac.edu/about/overview.html 

Mt. San Antonio College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for its students, employees, and visitors. Considering evidence that the use of tobacco and nicotine, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke and aerosol (commonly referred to as “vapor”) from electronic smoking devices pose significant health and environmental hazards, the College has established a smoke, vapor, and tobacco-free environment. 
https://www.mtsac.edu/governance/trustees/apbp/AP3565.pdf

The Fresh Air Mounties (FAM) is a group of students at Mt. San Antonio College that began advocating for a fresh air campus policy in 2020.
https://www.compadreslac.org/fam

On November 8, 2022, California voters upheld the state law, Senate Bill (SB) 793.

This bill would prohibit a tobacco retailer, or any of the tobacco retailer’s agents or employees, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell or offer for sale, a flavored tobacco product or a tobacco product flavor enhancer, as those terms are defined, except as specified. The bill would make a violation of this prohibition an infraction punishable by a fine of $250 for each violation. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that these provisions do not preempt or prohibit the adoption and implementation of local ordinances that impose greater restrictions on the access to tobacco products than the restrictions imposed by the bill.

(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB793)

Lots of studies have been done about the benefits of quitting smoking. Decades of research have found several good reasons to quit, including health and financial benefits that can save lives and money. While it’s best to quit as early in life as possible, quitting at any age can lead to a better health and lifestyle.

The sooner you quit, the more you can reduce your chances of getting cancer and other diseases.

(https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/benefits-of-quitting-smoking-over-time.html)

Vape waste is waste associated with vapes, including disposable vapes, pods or cartridges, e-liquid containers and packaging, and vape batteries. Vape waste is especially bad for the environment because it is three forms of waste in one: plastic waste, hazardous waste, and electronic waste (e-waste). All of these are hazardous for the environment.

Vapes create plastic waste. The device body and pod components are made of plastic. Plastic is an environmental problem because it doesn’t biodegrade like organic materials do – it can take up to hundreds of years for some plastic items to decompose. Vapes are also a toxic waste because of the heavy metals in the vape and the nicotine in the e-juice. Finally, vapes are e-waste since they contain lithium-ion batteries and a heating element.

(https://www.undo.org/environmental-impact/vape-waste-is-toxic-waste)

Cigarette butts are the most common toxic waste found in beach and waterway cleanups and the number one item found on California highways. This is dangerous for many reasons, including, 1)cigarette butts are poisonous when ingested by children or animals; 2) the toxic chemicals in cigarette butts are a threat to our aquatic ecosystems; and 3) the substances that leach out are highly toxic to freshwater micro-organisms.

Smoking also poses a direct threat to our forests, homes, and parks. Discarded cigarette butts have been linked to large wildfires, resulting in the destruction of wildlife, vegetation, and property. Cigarette-induced fires can burn hundreds of acres of land and have done so all over the state.

(https://www.undo.org/environmental-impact/cigarette-butts-are-toxic-waste)

Thirdhand smoke (THS) is a term used to describe the residual contamination from tobacco smoke that lingers in rooms long after smoking stops and remains on our clothes after we leave a smoky place. It may seem merely like an offensive smell, but it is also indicative of the presence of tobacco toxins. 

Thirdhand smoke consists of the tobacco residue from cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products that is left behind after smoking and builds up on surfaces and furnishings. Tobacco smoke is composed of numerous types of gasses and particulate matter, including carcinogens and heavy metals, like arsenic, lead, and cyanide. Sticky, highly toxic particulates, like nicotine, can cling to walls and ceilings. Gases can be absorbed into dust in a room, carpets, draperies, and other fabrics or upholsteries. 
(no-smoke.org/smokefree-threats/thirdhand-smoke/)

Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard causing more than 41,000 deaths per year. It can cause or make worse a wide range of damaging health effects in children and adults, including lung cancer, respiratory infections and asthma. There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and even short-term exposure potentially can increase the risk of heart attacks.
(https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts/health-effects/secondhand-smoke)

You can find more information about the laws protecting the public from exposure to secondhand smoke from The American Lung Association by going to www.lung.org/policy-advocacy/tobacco/smokefree-environments 

This episode helps provide more insight on how vaping affects teens, reasons why teens should quit vaping, coping with cravings, and how they can quit or where they can find help to quit.

The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. With most e-cigarettes containing highly addictive nicotine, it can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine. Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.
(https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/index.htm)

For many people, dealing with cravings is one of the hardest parts of quitting vaping. That’s why it’s important to have a plan for how to deal with cravings when they hit. At teens.smokefree.gov you can find additional tips for dealing with cravings. 
(https://teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping/deal-with-vape-cravings)

Websites mentioned during this episode are:
Kidshealth.org
CDC.gov
Truthinitiative.org 
Tobaccofreekids.org
Lung.org
Teen.smokefree.gov
CompadresLAC.org 

No matter how it's delivered, nicotine is harmful for youth and young adults. E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine as well as other chemicals that are known to damage health. 
(e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov)

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids National Youth Ambassadors are high school students who have demonstrated leadership in fighting tobacco in their communities. These advocates are chosen annually as representatives of their state through a competitive application process. 
(tobaccofreekids.org)

California Youth Advocacy Network Policy Ambassador Programs are becoming increasing popular as a way to increase compliance without the use of citations.  The 2-hour training can be provided in person or via webinar to campus staff or student leaders that will be coordinating a Policy Ambassador Program on campus.
(https://www.cyanonline.org/college-program)

This is Quitting is a free and anonymous text messaging program from Truth Initiative designed to help young people quit vaping. The first-of-its-kind quit program incorporates messages from other young people like them who have attempted to, or successfully quit, e-cigarettes. Our messages show the real side of quitting, both the good and the bad, to help young people feel motivated, inspired and supported throughout their quitting process. We also send young people evidence-based tips and strategies to quit and stay quit. This is Quitting is tailored based on age (within 13 to 24 years old) and product usage to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting.
(truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting)

The quitSTART app is a free smartphone app that helps you quit smoking with tailored tips, inspiration, and challenges.
(smokefree.gov/tools-tips/apps/quitstart)

SmokefreeTXT for Teens is for  teens aged 13-17 in the United States who are ready to quit smoking. After you confirm your enrollment, you will receive daily text messages to support you in quitting smoking.
(teen.smokefree.gov)

In this episode, get some facts and history on electronic smoking devices, which many know as vapes. In less than 10 minutes, you might get some useful info. 

E-cigarettes are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “vapes,” “e-hookahs,” “vape pens,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items.
(https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/index.htm)

If you want to set up your quit plan, check out Kick It California. It's a free program that helps Californians kick smoking, vaping, and smokeless tobacco with the help of proven, science-based strategies. Take the first step toward quitting.
(kickitca.org)