Smoking Behaviors and Attitudes Towards the Smoke-Free Campus Policy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

We conducted this systematic review to document the published literature related to smoking behaviors and attitudes towards the smoke-free campus policy. Studies on universities that had implemented the smoke-free campus policy were included in this review. The search for published articles from January 2010 to December 2020 involved three main electronic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. We searched the databases with the following Boolean string: [(smoke-free OR tobacco-free) AND (campus OR university OR college) AND (knowledge* OR attitude* OR practice*)]. Seventeen studies were included in this review. The majority (n = 8) were from the United States, followed by Saudi Arabia (n = 2) and one each from Israel, Lebanon, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and China. Eight studies reported a positive impact of the policy on smoking behavior (plan to quit smoking, attempt to quit smoking, reduce smoking). However, 11 studies reported that respondents were still exposed to second-hand smoke and that cigarette butts were still scattered around the university area. Nine studies reported negative attitudes towards smoking, and seven of 12 studies reported positive attitudes towards the policy. Overall, the smoke-free campus policy had mixed impacts. Nevertheless, we found that attitude towards a smoke-free campus and smoking behavior has a good impact.

Assessing the Policy of Non-Smoking Areas in Schools in Indonesia: A Mixed Methods Study

“…In Malaysia, all campuses have been designated as smoke-free zones, with the need for differentiated approaches between males and females to ensure equal impact of the smoke-free zone policy (Mohmad et al, 2022). Strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the smoke-free campus policy include stricter enforcement by university authorities, intensified promotion to raise awareness about the policy, and providing counseling or smoking cessation clinics to assist with quitting (Mohmad and Ismail, 2021). In Europe, the effectiveness of smoke-free zone policies can be improved if schools collaborate with students to develop positive collective beliefs and understanding about the policy (Hewer et al, 2022).…”