THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
November 24, 2014 Volume 41, Issue 11 themedium.ca
Ontario bans campus tobacco sales New Smoke-Free Ontario Act to come into effect January 1; U of T essentially complies at present MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR As of January 1, colleges and universities in Ontario will no longer be able to sell tobacco on their campuses as a result of a move by the provincial government to adopt stricter regulations on smoking. The province’s “Smoke-Free Ontario Act” will also make it illegal to smoke on bar and restaurant patios, playgrounds, public sports fields, and other recreational areas. According to the Ontario government’s website, the new regulations are part of the province’s aim to reduce youth access to tobacco. Selling tobacco will be prohibited in buildings owned or leased by postsecondary institutions or student unions that are used for education programs, recreation, or residence services. The National College Health Assessment survey results from spring
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
Currently, the sale of tobacco is prohibited on campus by U of T’s Smoking Policy of 1995. 2013 found that 10.8% of UTM students had smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days. Chad Jankowski, health education coordinator at the UTM Health and Counselling Centre, said that these results were consistent with the find-
ings of both the Canada-wide reference group, which found that 11.6% of Canadian postsecondary students had smoked in the last 30 days, and the Ontario group, which found that 11% of students in the province had. He added that the percentage of
UTM students smoking tobacco using a water pipe—a hookah—in the last 30 days was 4.6%, which is also consistent with the provincial (4.1%) and national (4.2%) results. Asked if there were places at UTM where tobacco is currently sold, Fe-
licia Phan, UTM’s campus program coordinator for the Leave the Pack Behind program, said no. Jankowski added that U of T’s Smoking Policy of 1995 already prohibits tobacco sales on campus. The policy states, “Cigarettes, tobacco, and other tobacco products will not be sold on premises occupied by the University of Toronto.” However, tobacco may be obtained in other ways. “There are ways to get not illegal tobacco but tobacco that’s been rolled on its own—not sold in community stores,” said Rovina Girn, a nurse at the HCC. “I haven’t really heard any of my patients, at least, tell me that they take part [in] that.” Currently, smoking is not allowed on covered or partially covered patios in Ontario. With the new regulations, smoking will not be allowed on any bar or restaurant outdoor patios, with the exception of the uncovered patios by a branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Smoking continued on page 2
Students prepare for town hall UTMSU Commission Meeting strategizes issues to raise at forum this week UTM becomes the Den
MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR UTMSU’s fifth Commissions Meeting last Tuesday focused on the upcoming UTM Town Hall and offered students a chance to bring up their concerns prior to raising them with university administration on Wednesday. At the meeting, UTMSU’s executive director Walied Khogali encouraged students to attend the town hall and raise issues that concern them. He said that the administration has the responsibility to respond to students’ needs, and in the event that students are not satisfied with the answers given by the principal or dean, the town hall will provide them with an opportunity to ask for clarification. Nearly 100 people attended the
A former Dragon visits campus to share his insights on entrepreneurs and investors. Medium News, page 2
Bring back the dead Do we need to update the classics if “he was not of an age, but for all time”? And even if yes, how? Medium Opinion, page 4
She shoots, she scores Campus group writes, directs, and performs a play, all for the benefit of the outgoing Hurricane Hazel. Medium Arts, page 5
What all’s after Con Hall? CHRISTY TAM/THE MEDIUM
UTMSU discussed the upcoming UTM Town Hall at its fifth Commission Meeting on Tuesday. Principal’s Town Hall held last March, of whom Khogali claimed only about four or five were students. Khogali also noted students’ com-
plaints that when their questions were submitted in advance, the administration was able to prepare their answers and read them out at
the town hall rather than discussing them with the students. Town Hall continued on page 3
We follow up with three grads from the class of 2014 on what life is like on the other side of the curtain. Medium Features, page 8
Two birds with two stones Has UTM ever been so successful in a pair of soccer championships all at once? Probably not. Medium Sports, page 11