By: Bob Costner

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — A new change will greet students when Davidson County Schools open for the new school year less than three weeks away. All 31 campuses in the system will now be tobacco free.

“We just wanted to provide an environment that’s healthy for all individuals, for all students, faculty, staff and parents,” said Liz Snyder, assistant principal for East Davidson High.

The ban covers all tobacco products and includes buildings, grounds around the campus and stadiums, even school-sponsored events off campus. The ban also covers personal vehicles on school grounds.

There won’t be any designated smoking areas on campus even for teachers.

“We always strive in education to be role models for our students,” said Snyder. “This is just another avenue we can present ourselves as role models… to have no tobacco products on our campuses at all.”

There weren’t any smokers on campus to talk to about the matter, and Snyder says she thinks there was only one faculty member who smoked.

The biggest impact is expected to be on parents and others attending fall football games.

Senior Claudia Jones said the smoking at games “bugs everyone.” She said it’s distracting for fans because, “they have to be worried about the smoke getting in their faces.”

Jones was one of a number of students participating at cheerleading practice at the school on Tuesday.

“I think it’ll be a good thing to get it out of the school system completely,” added sophomore Kelby Lomax.

Of course old habits die hard, especially this one. There are signs of tobacco use around campus. They include cigarette butts in the stadium bleachers and an empty snuff can in the parking lot.

But the new signs about the ban have been posted.

“We’re going to be very patient and give a lot of reminders that this is a new policy and let people get adjusted to it,” said Snyder.

The State Department of Health and Human services says that 86 of the state’s 115 school systems in the state are tobacco-free.