BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
The Toronto JAM is committed to providing a healthy environment for staff and participants involved with our organization. We recognize that there is significant evidence demonstrating the negative health impacts of tobacco use and exposure (including second-hand smoke from the use of tobacco indoors and exposure to drifting smoke outdoors) and that no level of tobacco exposure is safe.
COMMITMENT
We believe that the participation in sport is a pastime that promotes physical activity and healthy living. Players and staff involved in the Toronto JAM have a responsibility to model positive health behaviour with regard to tobacco use.
POLICY
Activities including, but not limited to games, tournaments, and events sanctioned by our organization will be tobacco-free.
Definition: Tobacco-free means that the use of tobacco by members, staff, spectators, and officials is prohibited during all activities sanctioned or engaged in by our organization.
Tobacco products include: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, cigarillos, tobacco chew, plug, or snuff, snus, hookah, bidis and kreteks.
SCOPE AND LOCATION
The Toronto JAM tobacco-free policy will apply to all activities including, but not limited to games, tournaments, events, and other performances sanctioned by our organization. Locations for each of these activities will vary, however our policy will apply to all locations where the Toronto JAM sanctioned activity is going on. This includes around buildings, green spaces and parking lots where the Toronto JAM sanctioned activity is going on.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
We will promote the tobacco-free policy to our members by:
- Providing a copy of the policy online as a highly visible part of our overall league policy. All of our members must view this policy before participating in any of our leagues or programs.
- Highlighting this as a new addition to the overall league policy so that members are aware (especially important for returning members as they may not read overall league policy in detail)
- Making the policy visible throughout the year using various channels/opportunities including information from our website, banners/signage at tournaments, Live Play Be Tobacco-Free branding on all special event prizing, and encouraging all players and staff to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle.
POLICY ENFORCEMENT
We will enforce the tobacco-free policy to ensure that all those attending and participating in the Toronto JAM’s activities have access to a tobacco-free environment.
We will use the following steps to enforce our policy:
1. Post signs about our policy where our tournaments take place, using signs, banners and include in informational materials available at the activity.
2. Encourage our staff, players, and officials to respectfully remind individuals using tobacco at Toronto JAM activities about the tobacco-free policy.
3. Provide one verbal warning to individuals who are seen not following the policy. Verbal warning will be delivered by an official representative of the Toronto JAM head office. The Toronto JAM representative will inform the Toronto JAM executive about the verbal warning including the date, location, and name of the individual who was warned.
4. The Executive will provide a formal written warning to the individual. Following a written warning, the individual violating the policy again may be brought to the Toronto JAM for disciplinary actions which could include being banned from all Toronto JAM events.
POLICY APPROVAL
This policy will be reviewed by the Toronto JAM Executive Committee annually.
Policy Approved: November 23rd, 2012
More information regarding this initiative can be found at: http://www.playlivebetobaccofree.ca/