Colleges and Universities
- Model Policy for Smokefree University
- Steps for Enacting a Smokefree College Policy
- TTAC College Prevention Tobacco Resource
- TobaccoFreeU.org
- Smoke-Free New England Campus Initiative
- Preferred Smoking Policies at 30 Pacific Northwest Colleges
- Ozark Technical College Tobacco-Free College Program
- CYAN
- American College Health Association (ACHA) Position Statement on Tobacco onCollege and University Campuses
Attention Students! Take a stand for smokefree air.
Become an ANR member today and take advantage of our student membership discount. Click here to learn more!
Please review our list of Colleges and Universities with Smokefree Policies for more information.
For hundreds of thousands of students, campus dormitories, fraternities, and sororities are homes away from home, and as such are susceptible to secondhand smoke problems as well. Wisconsin, New Jersey and Illinois have implemented 100% smokefree laws that protect all co-eds and college staff from secondhand smoke in residence halls and dormitories; and more and more colleges and universities are respecting their students by voluntarily providing smokefree dorms and campuses. Many colleges and universities still allow smoking, despite dangerously high smoking rates among college students (approximately 30%). Just as action can be taken to eradicate secondhand smoke from private dwellings, measures can be taken to make campus living smokefree.
College students are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry as potential, young customers. One need only look at promotions held in bars across campuses all over the country to realize that 18-24 year olds are important to the tobacco industry.
Students on campuses across the country are leading efforts to refuse tobacco industry sponsorship, grants, donations, and other gifts, as well as passing smokefree campuses policies.
| Smokefree News |
| Boise State honored for going smoke-free on university property Boise State University has been recognized by local public health officials for the university's campus-wide smoking ban. The Central District Health Department picked BSU for its "Leadership in Community Public Health" award. BSU's smoke-free policy applies to all students, employees, contractors, volunteer and visitors on all university-controlled property. The ban has been in place since the fall of 2009. "The dangers of tobacco use are well-established," said Russ Duke, director of the Central District Health Department. "We thought it appropriate to recognize Boise State's effort to improve and maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone on campus." ... Community colleges in N.J. are cutting back on lighting up MORRIS COUNTY -- A few cigarette butts littered the ground near an entrance to an academic building at the County College of Morris. Nearby, an employee was observed furtively puffing away in the cold outside the college administration building. There are still signs of smoking at CCM three years after it became one of the first two colleges in the state to declare a totally smoke-free campus. But officials say smoking is now the exception and contend they have a healthier and cleaner campus -- now one of five state community colleges that do not allow tobacco use. Star-Ledger file photo.There are still signs of smoking at CCM three years after it became one of the first two colleges in the state to declare a totally smoke-free campus. But officials say smoking is now the exception and contend they have a healthier and cleaner campus -- now one of five state community colleges that do not allow tobacco use ... Mount Hood Community College bans smoking Lake Region State College to go tobacco-free Widener Goes Smoke-Free Widener University will be the first area four-year college to go smoke-free, indoors and out, reports the Inquirer. The smoking ban includes the use of all tobacco products on campus. The decision to go tobacco-free came about by recommendations of a committee made up of students, faculty and staff who were concerned about health effects of second-hand smoke and increased health insurance costs for smokers and chewers. To make the July 1 ban an easier transition for faculty and students, the university is offering free smoking-cessation classes as well as nicotine-replacement drugs. ... No butts about it: Dakota County Technical College goes tobacco-free in 2010 When students return to class at Dakota County Technical College Jan. 11, they should leave one provision behind. Effective Jan. 1, the use of any tobacco product by employees, students or visitors is prohibited on college property. The Rosemount facility joins a growing list of higher education institutions in the state that have gone tobacco-free. There are currently 14, from other technical colleges like Northwest in Bemidji to the University of Minnesota Duluth. Former Student Senate President Jenny Anderson of Rosemount initiated the policy at DCTC after attending a statewide student association conference in December 2008. Dalton State goes tobacco-free Dalton State College has joined the ranks of other tobacco free campuses in the University System of Georgia. "Our original plan wasn't to do that," said student body president Daniel Sanchez. "What we really wanted to do was what the students wanted." Campus-wide ban on smoking goes into effect The decision was given the nod by Dr. M. Roy Wilson, chancellor at UC Denver. The first stage commenced April 6, allowing a covered space in the Evergreen Parking Lot on campus for smokers to huddle into during their smoke breaks. But on Oct. 31, even the "shack," purposed for smoking, was shut down. And although the health effects of smoking are clear today, some were still unhappy with the change. Kristie Fields, a facilities coordinator at the school, was one of the smokers affected by the policy change. "A lot of my smoker friends are fit to be tied," she said and laughed. "Mad as can be. We had our little smoking shack. We can't even go there now; we can't even get out of the weather." The official news release that was posted on the UCD website before the ban went into effect read, "One of our nation's leading causes of disease and death will soon be completely banned from the entire Anschutz medical campus." ... Institute Announces Campus-Wide Smoking Ban A campus-wide email was sent out this afternoon from William Walker, VP for Strategic Communications and External Relations regarding smoking. Effective July 1, 2010, smoking will be prohibited on the Rensselaer campus. Smokers will have to go to the sidewalk. The message claimed that many people begin smoking at around age 19, so they are looking out for the best interest of the students. We suspect that some of them are probably a little upset, but it’s the staff members that will really be affected. I think it’s a pretty good idea smoking harms those around the smoker, so in order to provide a healthy school environment, smoking must be regulated. ... UofL smoking ban coincides with Great American Smoke Out Thursday is The Great American Smoke Out and as a part of the smoke out, Kentucky’s two largest universities are going smoke free. Smoking bans are now in place at the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. ... University Further Restricts Smoking WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue University campus will be virtually smoke-free beginning next summer. A new campus-wide police was announced Thursday. Smoking will be allowed in a few areas, but those have yet to be determined. The enhanced ban, which goes into effect July 1, will also prohibit smoking in all vehicles owned or leased by the university. ... UM initiative bans smoking Students at both the University of Michigan and Purdue University would have to either quit or find somewhere else to puff up if a smoking ban under serious consideration at both Midwestern schools is implemented. The Michigan initiative bans smoking anywhere on its three campuses and, in lieu of receiving a ticket, offenders will be forced to attend workshops encouraging them to drop the habit. “We are working to promote a culture of health, and this fits into that philosophy … We believe a smoke-free environment is another strong way to encourage a healthy lifestyle,” said Kallie Michels, associate vice president of communication at Michigan. “We hope that the policy will translate into more members of our community quitting smoking or never starting.” The goal of the initiative is to make the campus completely smoke-free by July 2011 in order to create a “culture of health.” ... Proposal would extend UF smoking ban to Greeks The University of Florida's tobacco ban would apply to fraternities and sororities when it takes effect next year, under a proposal released Wednesday by the university. UF banned tobacco use in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium starting this season and on the property of health-related facilities starting Nov. 1. A university-wide ban is planned for July 1. The proposed regulation, which is scheduled to be considered next month by UF trustees, would prohibit smoking as well as the use of smokeless tobacco and electronic devices meant to simulate smoking. It would apply to university-owned land in Alachua County and Jacksonville. It also would apply to land occupied or controlled by fraternities and sororities recognized by UF, which includes property on and off campus. ... UM to ban tobacco products on campus starting in fall 2011 The University of Montana is poised to join a growing roster of colleges nationwide banning tobacco on campus. The ban is set to go into effect in the fall of 2011, and would be the second campuswide smoking ban in Montana - as Montana Tech in Butte is going tobacco-free in 2010. Montana State University has proposed a similar ban. Across the country, more and more colleges are banning not just smoking, but the use of all tobacco products anywhere on campus. There are now 172 tobacco-free campuses nationwide, and another 322 smoke-free campuses. UM and other Montana campuses currently have a 25-foot smoking perimeter around building entrances. But a study by the UM Tobacco Task Force found that nearly two-thirds of smokers were violating that regulation. ... Burnt Out | University of Miami takes first step in effort to start campus ... Smoking is now banned in and around the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. UM opted to convert not only the building and medical center, but also the outside facilities into a smoke-free environment. "I think it makes sense banning smoking from the medical center, a place that is supposed to promote healthy behavior," said Gabriel Hernandez, a senior biology major at the University of Miami. The ban will include parking lots, garages, parked cars and the area outside of the Medical Center, according to an article in the university's student newspaper, The Miami Hurricane. ... SRJC smokers pushed off campus Tobacco smokers at Santa Rosa Junior College are becoming increasingly marginalized — literally — with a strict new policy that has pushed them past the edges of the campus. To overcome complaints about droves of smokers puffing away on the border of the smoke-free campus, the school has instituted a policy prohibiting smoking within a minimum of 20 feet from the college property, including sidewalks.“We used to be able to smoke by the library,” said Aaron Carpenter, 20, as he took a smoking break from his English class Monday afternoon. “They pushed us back. Eventually, they'll kick us down all the way to the freeway.” “There should be a designated smoking area,” said his classmate Matthew Bandy, 22, echoing the suggestion of other smokers who said they are exiled to an adjacent residential neighborhood if they want to grab a quick smoke. Not only have the places disappeared where students can smoke, campus police are about to be granted the authority to issue citations for smoking infractions. The tickets are backed by fines that start at $100 for the first offense, increase to $250 for the second, and $500 for a third offense. Santa Rosa City Council members this afternoon are poised to pass a resolution that allows Junior College police to enforce the city ordinance prohibiting smoking around workplaces and public places, within a 20-foot radius. ...Colleges Nationwide Banning Tobacco On-Campus At Florida State, they can only settle down and light up in certain parts of campus. Throughout FSU's campus, green ash trays designate where smokers can light up. Black ash trays are placed throughout the school to prevent littering. But FSU is phasing in a plan to gradually make the campus more smoke free FSU Health Educator Kevin Frentz says, "We've decided to take a phased-in approach to it, so it's a phased transition and knowing there's a chance we'll never got to a tobacco-free campus, but then, that's the goal." Gradually more smoke free zones will be added to the campus. ... VIDEO: Heavy smoking on Mass. college campuses 22News takes a hard look at cigarette smoking on Western Massachusetts college campuses. And that's just the butts that weren't properly discarded. Students attending Holyoke Community College told 22News, "It's tough not becoming a smoker in this day and age. Holly Frederick told 22News "she started smoking because her father smokes". Nick Duclos told 22News, "It's hard not lighting up when all your friends are smokers". ... Cigarette concerns go up in smoke at PCC campuses Jackson, 33, and her 5-year-old took the bus to and from campus last year. Many people smoked at the bus stop, and soon enough, she saw her own daughter puffing an imaginary cigarette. "She sees everyone do it and thinks it's accepted," Jackson said. At PCC Sylvania, students say the campus serving 26,700 harbored a significant smoking culture. But thanks to a three-year tobacco cessation plan that started in 2007, students and staff had plenty of warning about the incoming ban. ... NYU plans smoking ban within 15 ft. of buildings NYU may ban smoking within 15 feet of entrances and exits university buildings, Senior Vice President for Operations Alison Leary announced in an e-mail to the university community yesterday. Smoking is currently banned in all NYU buildings. The NYU College of Dentistry is already required by law to ban smoking within 15 feet of all entrances because it is a diagnostic and treatment center; this policy led NYU to consider a similar all-university ban. "Doing nothing is not an option," Leary said after the e-mail's release. "People generally complain about the risks to their health — passing through clouds of smoke." ... Toward Tobacco-Free Campuses ACHA Guidelines: Position Statement on Tobacco onCollege and University Campuses Smoking banned, come 2010 Tuesday’s Student Government Association meeting saw the open dialogue and discussion of two resolutions that will affect Towson’s campus population.
Smoking Ban
The debate is over and the decision has been made. As of August 1, 2010, Towson University will be a smoke-free campus. This means that students, faculty, staff and visitors will not be allowed to smoke anywhere on Towson’s campus. ... RCTC bans tobacco use on campus Rochester Community and Technical College said Friday that it will ban all smoking and tobacco use on its 500-acre campus on Jan. 1. State law had already forbidden smoking in public places, but smoking had been permitted in parking lots, 20 feet outside of building entrances and in an outdoor amphitheater. That will change Jan. 1. The college had been studying the issue for several years, an official said, but decided to take action after hearing more and more complaints about second-hand smoke. Also, a student nurse had reported a number of adverse reactions to secondhand smoke among students with asthma or some other allergic condition. There are about a dozen public and private higher education institutions in Minnesota, including Winona State University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead, that have already opted to go smoke-free. ... SGA passes smoking ban resolution A resolution banning smoking on West Virginia University’s Health Sciences Campus passed during Wednesday’s Student Government Association meeting. All but two of the 13 governors – Paul Kast and Abby Sobonya – voted for the ban. Gov. Ron Cheng proposed an amendment "student input, collaboration, compromise and awareness for a progressive mode of reform," which was added unanimously to the resolution before it was voted on. "Right now, the resolution is a smoking ban with only administration input, and technically we are supporting that," Cheng said. I want to make it clear that SGA is supporting a ban that involves students." While Gov. Scott Covitz felt the resolution had "no student backing at all" before the amendment, he chose to vote "yes" because of its addition. Cheng said adding the amendment did not affect the ban in anyway, but ensured the student voice in the matter. "We still have a resolution that supports a ban," he said. "For the governors who are hesitant, this is like a settlement for both parties, a win-win situation." Gov. Taylor Richmond, who drafted the resolution, said the clause should have been included in the original draft and was glad Cheng proposed it. ... Cigarette smoking bans on campus The age of 18, when an American citizen becomes a legal adult, marks many rights of passage - the ability to vote, enlist in the army, get a tattoo or piercing and buy a pack of cigarettes. However, many college campuses are beginning to prohibit that last rite of passage. As of this month, there are over 300 colleges that enforce "100 percent smoke-free campuses" according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, including University at Buffalo, the first SUNY school to enforce the ban. Buffalo established the UBreathe Free policy for the 2009-10 school year, prohibiting smoking anywhere except for designated parking lots 100 feet or more from campus, but hopes to become completely smoke free by August 2010. According to a 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 31 percent of college students smoke, compared to 25 percent of the rest of the country. Currently, on the Binghamton University campus, smoking is prohibited inside all buildings and other designated areas, but is allowed outdoors within 25 feet of building entries or windows. Linda Spear, a distinguished professor of psychology at BU who specializes in addictions, thinks that while a campus-wide ban may be good in the distant future, it could initially have some negative side effects. "Not allowing smoking on campus would help people quit smoking which is a good thing in the long run," Spear said. "(But) if they can't smoke on campus, they'll start going through withdrawal and likely show withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and lack of concentration." ... Purdue floats smoke-free proposal Purdue University is considering a policy that would ban smoking anywhere on campus and in university vehicles. The university is now gathering feedback on the issue from the Purdue community. If the proposal is approved, Purdue University will be one of more than 300 universities nationwide with a smoke-free campus. A similar policy already is in effect at several other Indiana colleges and universities, including Indiana University's Bloomington campus. The proposal is being considered because of evidence of the effects of secondhand smoke, said Alphonso Diaz, executive vice president for business and finance and treasurer. He added that smoking by faculty and staff contributes to increased absences, higher insurance rates, and lower productivity. Graduate student Jessica Raffelson is adamantly against the proposal. ... No more lighting up on campus At the start of the year, smoking on the DU campus will be banned, a decision made by Chancellor Robert Coombe on May 28, following a petition signed by nearly 1,900 community members. Tobacco products will be banned from all indoor and outdoor areas of campus, including a distance of 25 feet from the campus perimeter. Although smoking will be prohibited, punishment and violations will be minimal. The ban extends DU's current policy, which bans smoking within 25 feet of entrances and exits and all university buildings. "It is important to note that while the university has rules and regulations governing the conduct of its students, faculty, and staff and policies in keeping with current law, it does not regulate legal personal choice unless such choice has a deleterious effect on the community as a whole" Coombe wrote in his letter to the community. ... UT-Arlington looks at total ban of smoking, tobacco on campus College now in compliance with state smoking law A formalized district smoking policy has been adopted by the Citrus College Board of Trustees. Prior to the board’s regular meeting on June 16, there was no written policy on smoking at Citrus College. However, the college is now in compliance with state regulations. The recently approved Citrus College smoking policy is stated in BP 6800: Safety. The board policy on smoking states that the college prohibits of the use of tobacco in all public buildings and is in compliance with other related tobacco use requirements mandated in the state of California. “As long as I can smoke somewhere it’s not a big deal,”Jonathan Reed, an 18 year old undeclared major said. ... A smoke-free future for Pierce A decision was made today that Pierce College will be making the transition to become a smoke-free campus. The date that the new rule is to take place has not been set, according to Sheriffs’ Cadet Diana Garcia. Smoking will no longer be allowed in the current designated areas. According to the new policy, smoking will only be allowed in Parking Lots 1 through 7, and will not include Parking Lot eight as a smoking zone. ... Chabot College now a smoke-free campus Chabot's new smoke-free campus is overall getting good marks. Now the policy is being strictly enforced this semester. The benches and signs that designated smoking areas on campus have been removed. Student Health Center Nurse Practitioner Rosafel Adriano said that both Las Positas and Chabot are smoke-free campuses. Last semester Adriano pushed to make the campus smoke-free. ... Roseburg-area UCC goes tobacco free WINCHESTER When Umpqua Community College students return to the classroom in a few weeks, the air on campus is bound to be a bit cleaner, less odorous, and perhaps a little less toxic. All because the campus is going tobacco free beginning the first day of fall term, Sept. 28. A new campus procedure will prohibit students and staff from lighting up cigarettes or sticking dips of chewing tobacco behind their lips anywhere inside the perimeter of the campus. Those who break the rule will be fined. “I think what the college is trying to do is provide a healthier environment for students and staff,” said Steve Buchko, UCC director of safety, security and custodial services. ... Smoking area removed from Ball State's campus Hall circulating smoke from assigned area UofL to go smokeless by June 2010 The University of Louisville has released a plan to eliminate all smoking on campus by next June. Officials say they will begin phasing in a smoking ban by November, with designated smoking areas on their main campus and the Shelby Campus; smoking cessation programs and support will also be made available. ... UI begins citing smokers on campus Dozens of cigarette butts were mashed into the concrete, and the no-smoking signs were charred with the black residue of snuffed-out tobacco. The evidence of smoking on the second level of parking ramp II at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics was easy to spot on a recent afternoon. Finding the cigarette smokers themselves, though, who are used to dodging hospital security and campus police, proved to be more difficult. On the top level of the parking garage, Danny and Tabatha Slutts of Ottumwa, who said they were at the hospital for a checkup, smoked behind their parked truck against a wall and out of sight from passersby. The cloak-and-dagger tactics are not uncommon among hospital visitors who come out to the ramp for cigarette breaks, the two said. ... Beaver Stadium Goes Smoke-Free UNIVERSITY PARK, CENTRE COUNTY - America's largest collegiate football stadium has gone smoke-free. The Nittany Lions will play their first 2009 season game this Saturday in the non-smoking Penn State University Beaver Stadium. ... University takes Smoking Ban Outside Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi has rolled out a new policy when it comes to students and faculty smoking cigarettes. The university already prohibits anyone from smoking inside buildings on campus. Now that policy has expanded outdoors. A letter was sent out to students to let them know about the new smoking rule. A new rule prohibits smoking within 25 feet of doorways and covered walkways including the campus spine. Administrators say they are working to get the word out to students as well as put up no-smoking signs outside of buildings. ... College limits smoking to perimeter of campus An update to the college's anti-smoking ordinance approved by the board of trustees last week prohibits smoking inside the perimeter road that encircles the classroom and administration buildings. The ordinance had previously allowed smoking 20 feet from building entrances and windows. The update establishes smoking areas in parking lots on the four corners of the Chula Vista campus. ... New smoking policy in full effect on campus Smokers coming back to campus may be greeted with more than a hello from University Police if they are caught smoking outside one of the designated areas; they could be given a $25 fine for smoking or for littering their cigarette butts. New and returning students have seen the signs scattered around the University Center’s Merson Courtyard, near the Cut, and other places on campus that warn of the consequences of smoking in a non-designated area. These signs are the manifestations of the changes in the university smoking policy that came about as part of the Healthy Campus 2010 program. ... SRJC smoking ban to reach beyond campus It is about get a lot harder to get a nicotine fix at Santa Rosa Junior College. Long a smoke-free campus, the school is poised to ink a deal with the city of Santa Rosa to extend the reach of its no-smoking policy and lay substantial fines on scofflaws. School trustees earlier this month approved a deal that would allow campus police to issue citations enforcing a city ordinance against smoking not only on campus, but within 20 feet of campus. Penalties are $100 for a first offense. In recent months, the fight over smoking centered on Elliott Avenue and the crosswalk between the library and quad on the north side of the street. Smokers asked to extinguish their cigarettes while on campus would simply step onto the sidewalk and continue puffing in the high-traffic area, backers of the stiffer ordinance said. There was little campus police could do. "It's become known as smokers' alley and it's horrible to walk through there." ... Smoking bans spreading to campuses across nation Corning Community College's efforts to restrict smoking at its facilities reflect what is happening across New York state and the country. Skyline College goes smoke-free SAN BRUNO — Skyline College has banned smoking, at least to designated areas just outside the central campus. Students, faculty and others returning to classes today will notice signs in that regard. Newly-painted yellow lines around campus tell people they are "entering a smoke-free zone," said Ray Hernandez, Skyline's academic senate president. Previously, the college had smoking areas within the campus. But the more-restrictive policy has taken effect this fall semester after a no-smoking movement at Skyline picked up steam over the years. ... CFCC welcomes students as a smoke free campus Downtown Wilmington is a little more crowded than it has been recently as students have returned for the fall to Cape Fear Community College. The difference this semester - a new ban on smoking on campus. This means no smoking on school grounds, indoors or out. But, like any law, there are some loopholes. The new smoking ban at Cape Fear Community College does apply to all of the campus, but not to the city sidewalks where it is still fair game for smoking. Step onto the campus’ red bricks though, and that is where you are not allowed anymore to smoke. ... PCC to go smoke free Portland Community College will go smoke-free next month. Beginning Sept. 9, the state's largest higher education institution, with more than 87,000 students a year, will ban all forms of tobacco use on its three campuses, Southeast Portland education center and three work force training centers. "This was the right thing to do," said President Preston Pulliams in a prepared statement. He said research findings on the risks of exposure to secondhand smoke are "too compelling to not act." ... BSU campus is now smoke-free BOISE -- A big change at Boise State University. A new policy bans smoking in all areas of the campus, including Bronco Stadium. Those behind the policy say students, staff, and faculty overwhelmingly supported this ban. "Eighty-five to 90 percent of our campus community support this. Fifty percent of our students say they’re bothered by secondhand smoke on a weekly basis. And all the research now shows that when you smell secondhand smoke you've just been poisoned by a Class A carcinogen. There is no safe level of exposure," said Ferd Schlapper, executive director, Health, Wellness & Counseling. Notice of this new policy change went out in October of last year. ... Smoking Policy Changed at Penn State Altoona (scroll down to view) The Penn State Altoona campus has changed its smoking policy. UALR Welcomes New School Year With Smoke-Free Campus The number of university campuses that ban smoking on school property has increased nearly tenfold in the last three years, according to the Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. And you can now add University of Arkansas at Little Rock to the list. Smoke-free policy in effect UB's smoke-free policy is in effect as of Aug. 1, with smoking prohibited in buildings and on the grounds--including green spaces--on the university's three campuses. Until Aug. 1, 2010, smoking will be permitted in areas of parking lots that are more than 100 feet from buildings. After that date, smoking will not be permitted anywhere on the campuses. The one-year transition period will allow time for the UB community and visitors to adjust to the change ... College students' exposure to secondhand smoke A total of 4,275 students completed the survey; however, data for the items assessed in this paper were available from 4,223 students (98.8%). The sample was 61% female and 79% White. Few students (2%) were younger than 18 years; 63% were 18–20 years old and 35% were older than 21 years. The average age of the students was 20.4 years (SD = 2.8). Overall, the sample closely mirrored the composition of the undergraduate population of the 10 participating colleges. . . . In our large sample of undergraduate students at 10 universities in North Carolina, we found high rates of self-reported SHS exposure. Some 83% of students reported any exposure in the 7 days preceding the survey. Exposure in a restaurant or bar was the most common (reported by 65% of students), followed by exposure at home or in the same room as a smoker (55%) and in a car (38%). ... Rates of secondhand smoke exposure high among college students Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students' exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the study can be found online today and will appear in the July 23 issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research, a publication of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. "It is well-known that there are some serious health issues surrounding secondhand smoke," said Mark Wolfson, Ph.D., lead author on the study, professor and section head for the Section on Society and Health in the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy. "While some college campuses are smoke free, others have virtually no restrictions on smoking, not even in the residence halls. There is a growing national movement to move away from that, but it still very much varies by campus. In this first study to evaluate SHS exposure among college students, we were really kind of floored to see how many, and how frequently, students are exposed to it." . . . Colleges expand anti-smoking rules In a state that once touted the golden leaf's economic benefits as greater than its health risks, UNC-CH is one of 26 college and community college campuses to adopt policies either banning or severely limiting tobacco use. But even those abiding by the rules say the movement to go smoke-free has been slow to catch fire in this state. No citations were issued at UNC-Chapel Hill during the first year of the smoking ban, although complaints about rule-breakers prompted 13 written warnings by UNC-CH police. The Orange County district attorney is not thrilled that those complaints might one day end up in local courtrooms. . . . Other colleges are putting in new restrictions. Peace College in Raleigh went smoke-free at the start of the year. Wake Tech bans smoking, as does Louisburg College in Franklin County, according to the state Health and Wellness Trust Fund. No butts about it: Increase in number of college-aged smokers College students may be more likely to smoke than any other age group, according to a new study done by researchers at Syracuse University. "There has been up to a 30 percent increase over the past 20 years in college smoking, which is more than all other age groups," said Danielle Seigers, a graduate student of clinical psychology who works for SU's Tobacco Research Program (TRP). An inverse relationship between education and smoking exists in the general population, said Monica Webb, a principal investigator and an assistant professor of clinical psychology. . . . "But there is something going on that is different with college students who seem to be increasing their smoking rate. This is an issue that has received national attention." The TRP, established in 2005, examines smoking cessation and factors that affect smoking across various populations. It has been working to identify college student smoking patterns and their overall thoughts on tobacco use. Seigers said she hopes the research will lead to further understanding of college student smoking behavior. Steps to a smoke-free campus No one has a right to engage in an activity that can harm other people, and second-hand smoke definitely causes disease and premature death in non-smokers ... NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE ENACTS STRONGEST SMOKEFREE DORM BILL IN THE NATION “New Jersey’s Smokefree College Residential Housing Law is the strongest legislation in the nation to prohibit smoking in college residential housing. It covers BOTH private and public institutions of higher education. We are pleased that our State is taking this leadership role in fire prevention and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke”, says Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., Director of the Tobacco Control Policy & Legal Resource Center, for New Jersey GASP. Only two other states enacted specific legislation banning smoking in college residential housing: Wisconsin makes University of Wisconsin housing smokefree, and Connecticut requires all public college dormitories to be smokefree. Last week, the Tennessee legislature passed a state law allowing public universities to ban smoking in dorms if they choose to. |