Exploring Support for 100% College Tobacco-Free Policies and Tobacco-Free Campuses Among College Tobacco Users

Abstract

Study findings suggest that campus advocacy and education campaigns for campus tobacco policies to pay attention to tobacco use behavior of familial relations, tobacco industry activities, and other political determinants of tobacco users' attitudes. Thus, this study should inform national initiatives to promote TFPs nationwide such as the Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative.

Enforcement of Smoke/Tobacco-free Policies at Public Universities in the US

“…There are many tools in the published literature that can be used to measure compliance and inform enforcement needs. These include questionnaires, 26 observational assessment, 21,23,24,52 and the mapping of littered cigarette butt "hot spot" areas. 24,53…”

“…campus tobacco-free policies have been documented internationally in both qualitative 13,17,20 and quantitative [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] research studies. For example, in a US study, researchers observed 529 violations of a tobacco-free campus policy during a 4-week period.…”

Clearing the air: American Indian tribal college students' exposure to second hand smoke & attitudes towards smoke free campus policies

“…Smoke-free campus policies have been shown to be an effective way of addressing SHS exposure and enhancing quitting and smoking cessation on college campuses. 14 …”

Smoking Isn't Cool Anymore

“…The paper by Mamudu and colleagues (3), describe some of challenges associated with implementing another type of tobacco-free policy – i.e., tobacco free campuses. Tobacco free campuses policies represent an effort to extend tobacco free elementary and secondary school policies to young adults, who often gravitate towards cigarette smoking when they get to college.…”

“…College campuses have always been a hotbed of tobacco marketing activity for manufacturers who recognize if they fail to get someone smoking by age 25, chances are they will never take up smoking (14). So far about 15% of US colleges/universities have implemented tobacco free campus policies and more are likely to join this movement as the appeal of smoking continues to wane among young people (3). Tobacco free campus policies will also likely become easier to implement as more states and localities increase the legal age for the purchase of tobacco from 18 to 21 years, as recently recommended by the Institute of Medicine (15, 16).…”