Smoke-free college campuses: Local and statewide perspectives

In 1998, young adult smoking rates exceeded the rates of all age groups. In response to this troubling trend, public health professionals began working with college campuses to decrease tobacco use among the college population. Policy advocacy efforts have been focused on a wide variety of initiatives such as completely smoke-free campuses, the sale of tobacco products on campus, elimination of tobacco industry sponsorship, product promotion at fraternities and sororities, and tobacco industry funded research.

The California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), a statewide project funded through the California Department of Public Health, has been working with college campuses for 10 years on tobacco-free policy adoption. CYAN recently partnered with students and public health advocates at two California State University (CSU) campuses who are mobilizing their communities and administrations to adopt completely smoke-free campus policies. Policy campaigns at CSU Northridge and San Jose State University have been developed from the ground up by conducting campus assessments, creating smoke-free policy task forces, and working with campus decision makers to adopt, implement, and enforce tobacco-free policies that will decrease tobacco use among students, faculty, and staff.

This presentation will discuss what tobacco related problems exist on campus and how advocates have found solutions to this pressing issue through policy advocacy. The session will highlight the three phases of policy -- adoption, implementation, and enforcement. Additionally, participants will learn about successful policy initiatives from California's universities, state and community colleges, as well as projects from campuses across the country.