Student led efforts to create a tobacco-free campus: Advocacy, policy drafting and barriers encountered

Currently, 85% of adult smokers begin using tobacco before turning twenty-one. This fact emphasizes university responsibility to ensure the health and safety of student bodies.  

By January 2015, over 1,500 colleges and universities had decided to eliminate smoking on campus. Our student organization set out to review our campus’ current policies on tobacco use. In November of 2013, we reached out to the health department and anti-tobacco coalitions. With their guidance we launched a Smoke-Free campaign, the goal being the elimination of tobacco and nicotine products on campus. The initial campaign included online petitions, social media outlets, and a website.  We presented a tobacco-free policy to student government, which led to a campus-wide survey of student opinion. 72% voted in favor of a ban, 12% voted undecided, and 15% against.

Even with student support, university administration failed to enact a tobacco-free policy. One major barrier was a breakdown in communication between student government, university administration, and our group. Even with this obstacle hindering our progress, we are optimistic that all parties will eventually agree to a anti-tobacco policy that values student health. With this goal in mind, our efforts continue.   

For campus organizations considering changes to university policy, first steps should include student body engagement and an understanding of university procedure. However, reliance on student government and traditional university channels may not lead to productive results. In these cases, engaging media and pulling in community support may be another way to elicit change means by which change can happen.