Emily N. Rines, MPH, CHES, Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition, University of New England, 655 Main St - 1st Floor, Saco, ME 04072, 207-294-3550, erines@une.edu and Lucie Rioux, Communities Promoting Health, People's Regional Opportunity Program, 510 Cumberland Ave, Portland, ME 04101.

The Maine Tobacco Free College Network (MTFCN) is a grassroots effort initiated by college representatives and community health promotion coalitions and was established for the purpose of strengthening campus tobacco policies. The network started as a regional effort and then broadened its geographical scope to include the entire state. Membership includes college representatives, state and community based health promotion coalitions, The Bureau of Health, The American Cancer Society, The American Lung Association, and The College Health Association. The Maine Tobacco Free College Network provided a “strength-in-numbers” approach and was a cost efficient way to address tobacco policies during tough economic times. Since the network’s formation in 2001, eight campuses have significantly strengthened their tobacco policies. Although the process was unique at each campus, similar action steps emerged and the framework has been successfully applied to other schools as they undergo policy change. The revised tobacco policies address the following: reduce exposure to second-hand smoke, ensure a tobacco-free workplace, provide an environment supportive of tobacco-free lifestyles, reduce the risk of accidental fire, and reduce the environmental impact of cigarette litter. The MTFCN provides support and legitimacy to colleges and universities as they move along their own continuums of culture change. It also provides a forum for administrators, staff, students, and state leaders to discuss tobacco use, safety and policy issues, and facilitate the process of change. The impact of this multi-dimensional collaboration is far reaching, as institutes of higher education are a fertile ground for adopting lifelong habits.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the background and process used to create the Maine Tobacco Free College Network.
• Outline the strategies for action on the steps of effective policy change within higher education.
• Identify and provide education on the components of model policies.
• Articulate the outcomes that have resulted from the network formation, and identify the future goals of the network for supporting tobacco free policy changes.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.