Town of Amherst Regulations Prohibiting Tobacco Smoking in Public Places and Places of Employment

The Town of Amherst Health Department has enacted an ordinance prohibiting smoking in all workplaces including those of private employers. The ordinance now strictly prohibits smoking in all workplaces, including private offices, classrooms, meeting and conference rooms, recreational and dining facilities, restrooms, lounges, or any other enclosed place where College business might normally be conducted.

The College has been advised that the Amherst Health Department views dormitory rooms to be exempt from the ordinance on the basis of their definition as private residences. In all dormitory building common areas, however, smoking shall be prohibited. Outdoor areas of the campus are not regulated by the provisions of this ordinance. The ordinance carries the full weight of State law, deriving its authority from Chapter 111 of the General Laws. Penalties for violations in the form of fines may be imposed on both individual employees and on the College itself. Continued violations may jeopardize other existing permits issued to the College by the Amherst Health Department.