Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Nov 06/98) - Students under the age of 18 who smoke at Thomas Simpson school in Fort Simpson are caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Dehcho Education Authority (DEA) adopted a no-smoking policy on the school grounds two weeks ago.

The problem for students who aren't in Grade 12 or under the age of 18 is that to leave the school property to have a cigarette, they are violating another school policy. They must have written permission from their parents in order to sign out without facing suspension.

"The DEA (District Education Authority) is aware of that and they have asked me to enforce the leaving the school grounds policy," TSS principal Robert Byatt said. "And that's where we're getting feedback."

"What we may have to do...is send home blanket permission slips to kids in the high school," he suggested.

To date, four students have been suspended for half the day for smoking on the school grounds. All teaching staff are responsible for monitoring and reporting offences. Byatt said the penalties are to be progressive.

He admitted that the policy has also elicited some complaints from teaching staff who indulge in the habit.

Currently, nobody is allowed to smoke on school property during school hours or during school-sponsored functions, according to Byatt. The boundaries are marked by the fencing around the school, he added.

"Smoking among young people at our school is a problem and steps need to be taken to try to address the problem," he said, adding that the issue was likely to arise again at Tuesday's DEA meeting.

Three anonymous TSS students, one who was smoking at the time, were approached by the xxxDrum outside the school recently. They estimated that 80 per cent or more of their high school peers smoke.

One of the students, under 18 years of age, said she didn't have a problem with walking out to the sidewalk for a cigarette. Yet, that extra effort could result in her being late for class, she added.

She said she was unaware that the school was cracking down on students leaving the school grounds without consent.

"That's crazy. They can't do that," she said. "They should just let us smoke, everyone else does."

Her friend added, "They can't stop you from smoking at all."

At the first DEA meeting in September, council members decided to continue with last year's policy, which allowed students aged 18 and over and staff to smoke at the industrial arts entrance on the northwest side of the building.

During the course of the next month, the DEA determined that students proved that they weren't policing themselves -- some persisted in smoking in non-designated areas and some left behind cigarette butts and packaging litter.