After two years of partnering with Laney College and Berkeley City College (BCC) Tobacco-less Clubs, the Community Health Education Institute is now working with Merritt College as well.
The schools were brought together after receiving a grant from the California Department of Tobacco Control and from the Alameda County Health Services Tobacco Prevention Program.
“The real aim is education,” said Healthy Communities’ Human Resource Manager and Administrator Marlene Hurd, a former Associated Students of Laney College (ASLC) member and Laney Tower Staff writer, who is currently enrolled in classes at both Laney and Merritt College. 
Hurd serves as a senator for the Associated Students of Merritt College and is an active member of the Merritt College Tobacco-less Club. “I like being a builder as a positive force that connects people to change. It doesn’t happen overnight, it only happens when we unite,” she said.
All three Tobacco-less Clubs joined forces in order to strategize and celebrate the new grant by hosting a Midwest Strategy Luncheon Nov. 18 in the Laney Bistro. Various segments of the wider Oakland community were in attendance, such as representatives from the American Lung Association, the City of Oakland’s Youth Commission, and Alameda County Department of Public Health Tobacco Control.
The Laney College Tobacco-less club is advised by James Menifee of Laney’s Computer Information Services lab. According to Menifee, the concern about tobacco use on Laney College campus is an issue the school has been addressing for a number of years.
Before the formation of Laney’s Tobacco-less club the Health and Safety Committee at Laney College, chaired by campus nurse Indra Thadani, conducted an informal survey of Health and Safety Committee members’ tobacco use and views on a new tobacco policy. The results showed all around support for a tobacco-free policy, even from tobacco users, according to Menifee.
On May 11, 2012, the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) approved AP (administrative procedure) 3570 Smoking. The policy states that both BCC and Laney have no designated smoking areas, while Merritt and College of Alameda (COA) both have limited designated smoking areas.
Violators of AP 3570 are subject to a fine of up to $100, with additional fees for late payment. The enforcement of AP 3570 is carried out by PCCD security personnel, including, but not limited to Peralta Police Services. According to AP 3570, “funds shall be allocated to the PCCD and its colleges. Allocation shall include, but not be limited to, enforcement, education and promotion of this policy, and tobacco cessation treatment options.” 
Even with signage scattered throughout Laney’s campus, secondhand smoke is still a real problem. Often while approaching smokers to inform them Laney College campus is smoke-free and that smokers need to relocate, the response Menifee most often receives is “who are you?” 
Usually a reply of “Laney Faculty and member of the Health and Safety Committee” is enough. Another common response comes from electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users who say “it’s not smoke, it’s vapor.”
“Secondhand vapor approaches toxicity levels of secondhand smoke,” according to Pauline Bondonno of the Community Health Education Institute. 
In response to the rise in e-cigarette use, many college campuses, towns, and cities throughout California are adding specific language to include a ban on e-cigarettes and vaporizers. “Thirteen countries have banned e-cigarettes, which is pretty amazing considering how they are marketed here in the U.S.,” Bondonno said.