Tips on Completing the SFOA School Witness Report

*SFOA School Witness Report is found at the end of this tips guide.* 

The SFOA school witness report is an important part of the enforcement process for smoke-free and vape-free schools as it provides a statement which the Tobacco Enforcement Officer will rely upon to provide further education, a warning, or a ticket. The completed report will form part of a crown brief for court if the defendant chooses to proceed to court. In light of this, please ensure that the information you enter is as accurate as possible and addresses the 5Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

Step 1

Gather the required information:

Who was involved in the incident? i.e., name of student(s) and how the student identity was verified; other persons involved (include their names).

What happened? i.e., describe what you saw, heard, smelt (vapour, secondhand smoke), or any relevant conversation.

Where did the incident occur? i.e., inside male/female student washroom located next to the library.

When did the incident occur? i.e., date and time.

Why did the incident occur? i.e., ongoing vaping by same student inside the school.

Step 2

Use the facts gathered above to describe what you saw during the incident and the actions you took. The statement in the school witness report web form may be written in the first person. The information you provide will be included in the health unit's legal brief in the event the defendant chooses to proceed to court.

Sample Witness Statement (the content below is a sample statement which can be modified and put in the witness statement section on the web form)

This is the witness statement of _________ (enter your name). On _________, 2022, I was employed by the __________ School Board as a __________ at __________ School located at _________ (enter date, board name, position, school name, and school address). On this day, one of my responsibilities was to patrol school washroom facilities to monitor for smoking and/or vaping inside the bathrooms. On the date in question, I proceeded to enter the male/female washroom located next to the library at ________ AM/PM (enter time of day). When I entered the washroom, I observed student __________ (enter name of student) standing in the public area of the washroom. I observed him/her/them with a silver-coloured vaping device in their left hand. I observed him/her/them lower the vaping device away from their mouth and expel vapour/smoke out of their mouth (enter observation of what occurred). (Other observations: i.e., the smell of strawberry vapour was present inside the washroom). I also observed signs posted inside the washroom that read "no smoking/no vaping". I advised _________ that vaping/smoking inside the washroom is not permitted, and I escorted him/her/them to the administration office. I spoke with Principal/Vice Principal _________ and advised him/her/them of the incident of ________ vaping/smoking inside the washroom. At this time, I verified the student's identity with the school's enrollment records. End of incident.

___________ (enter name of witness)

***For staff and school administrators completing the SFOA school witness report. By providing the following statement of facts, you acknowledge that you will be called as a witness in the event of a trial made under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 and the regulations therein. ***

This form should only be completed after school and/or board disciplinary actions have been taken.

This form data is intended only for the use of the named addressee and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this form data is strictly prohibited.

We only accept and process witness reports for Simcoe County and District of Muskoka schools.

Please:

• Only submit each report once. To prevent resubmission please close your browser.

Submissions are processed in the order of submission dates. Our turn around time is 3-4 business days from date of submission. You will receive an email notification once your matter has been assigned to a tobacco enforcement officer.