141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

291174
Cough sjsu--utilizing campus clubs to mobilize and organize the college community for a clean air campus

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 9:10 AM - 9:30 AM

Robert RInck, MPH , Health Science Department, San José State University, San José, CA
Isra Ahmad , Health Science, San Jose State University/NC-SOPHE, San Jose, CA
Cassandra Garcia, BS(c) , Department of Health Science and Recreation, Salud Familiar en McKinley, San José, CA
Laurie Morgan, MA , SJSU Health Center, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
Tonya Veitch, BS , California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), Sacramento, CA
Pete Cadano, BS (c) , Campuses Organized United for Good Health --COUGH@SJSU, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
Young adults currently use tobacco at higher rates than any age group population. One way to prevent tobacco use initiation, increase quit attempts, and protect individuals from secondhand smoke is adoption of tobacco-free policies. On the College Tobacco Report Card, conducted by California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) , on colleges/universities in Santa Clara County, San Jose State University (SJSU) received an “F” on its report card in limiting or /prohibiting tobacco usage on campus. The report card demonstrated that SJSU is not making significant progress towards limiting tobacco use and needs intervention to address gaps in campus tobacco-use policies. Utilizing Socio-Ecological Model of Policy/System/Environmental Change, the adoption of 100% tobacco-free policy will create an environment that promotes health, supports/encourages a tobacco-free lifestyle, and promotes cessation services/support. A Clearing the Air grant was offered by SOPHE on tobacco cessation and as a group effort, SJSU Health Center, CYAN, Dept of Public Health co-wrote and received the grant to get students involved and compensated. This promoted student leadership, advocacy skill-building, and leadership of students. From this grant, COUGH@SJSU was re-started as a campus club to educate the campus community on smoke free policies. COUGH@SJSU partnered with other campus organizations and departments to organize and develop creative campus events and unique activities to bring the awareness of a smoke free campus and encourage tobacco cessation and healthier habits. The actions of the students clubs/departments have brought significant change to the campus, to which there is now a smoke-free resolution at the Chancellor's office.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Assess new, different and exciting activities related to smoking cessation on campus to support what could be done to have a smoke-free campus. Identify ways to organize student clubs to support health promotion initiatives for a campus community. Compare community organizing strategies involving community partners, campus clubs and college departments to collaborate successfully in supporting a clean air campus.

Keywords: College Students, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Faculty Member at SJSU and the Advisor for the Campus Club--COUGH@SJSU --which is Campuses Organized & United for Good Health and the HS 104 Service Learning Club which does health promotion interventions in the community and has partnered with COUGH. I also wrote the Clearing the Air Grant from SOPHE, which gave us the money to re-start the student club (COUGH) and to help support SJSU become a smoke-free campus.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.