Transcript Creating a Tobacco

Creating a
Tobacco-free
Campus
College is about…
 Learning
 Life
 Leadership
Our campus is committed to
building future leaders.
Future Leaders
 Developing, promoting and supporting a
tobacco-free campus is one way to
engage students to lead their peers.
 Healthy leaders are role models and
powerful influences for others.
National Data
• 20% of young adults (18 - 24) smoke
(National Health Interview Survey 2010)
• Use is more prevalent with:
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People below poverty level
Military service members
People with mental illness
American Indian / Alaska Native populations
People identifying as LGBT
(CDC)
• Decline of smoking has slowed = tobacco
will continue to be an issue
[Your Data]
 [You may want to add recent data on
tobacco use on your campus.]
 Policy is an effective, cost efficient way to
decrease numbers of tobacco users, thus
increasing life, longevity and vitality.
 Most tobacco users want to quit.
Tobacco-free environments help them be
successful.
A Look Back…1996
Opposition prior to smoke-free residence halls:
"People are going to (smoke) anyway…
People would still do it (in the rooms).”
"It's a good theory, but it's unenforceable…
I think it will be gone in two years.”
-Penn State Student Newspaper article, January 1996
Reality: It has now been 17 years and counting.
Remember When…
 Smoking was allowed on airplanes and
in supermarkets?
 People believed that “non-smoking”
sections in restaurants were free of
smoke?
Policies soon become the social norm.
Why
Tobacco-Free Policy?
Respect for Health
 Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable
death.
 Secondhand smoke is carcinogenic.
 Tobacco-free policies respect the health of all,
including tobacco users.
 Policies protect the health of those with
asthma, respiratory ailments, heart conditions.
 It’s fundamental. All people have
a right to breathe clean air.
Promoting Well-Being
While the campus is focused on education,
it is also committed to ensuring the health
and well-being of all who interact with the
campus environment.
Benefits
of a Tobacco-Free Campus
It’s Healthy
 Ensures a safe & healthy environment
 Applies academic knowledge (tobacco
is unhealthy) to community practice
(policy supports good health)
 Supports the campus mission to
promote well-being
It’s Economical
Tobacco-free policy can potentially…
 Lower health care costs
 Reduce the incidence of fire damage
 Reduce physical repairs and maintenance
It’s “Green”
 A campus of 10,000 students can
produce over 1.5 tons of cigarette
butt waste per year
 Also consider the waste produced by
spit tobacco
 Maintenance staff are overburdened by this
unnecessary waste
It’s the Right Step
 Tobacco-free policies are being adopted
all over the world
 The momentum is happening now
 There are currently over 750 tobacco-free
colleges and universities in the U.S.
 Most people do not use tobacco,
and most who do would like to quit
(typically 75%)
A Few Examples
 Arizona State University
 Maricopa Community College District (AZ)
 University of North Dakota
 Minnesota State University— Moorhead
 Oklahoma State University
 Creighton University (NE)
 Portland Community College (OR)
All are tobacco free
The Research
Environmental strategies are effective for
reducing harm and helping people quit
 Policy
 Health & social marketing campaigns
 Product pricing / tobacco taxes
Policy is a critical component
of any strategic plan that
addresses health behaviors.
We  Tobacco Users
 Tobacco-free policy is not anti-user
 It is pro-health
 We understand that tobacco is an addiction
 We genuinely want to help
 Tobacco-free policy does not force tobacco
users to quit. If they want to, we will do
whatever we can to help.
Campus Resources
Implementation of campus tobacco
policy must include providing support to
tobacco users.
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Campus health center (if available)
QuitLine (1-800-QUIT NOW)
Local / county resources
CO Quit Mobile (text message-based)
Employee health insurance plans
Free / discounted nicotine replacement
therapy (NRT)
Common
Questions
Common Questions
Why should we be concerned with tobacco policy
for young adults?
 Young adults are disproportionately affected
by tobacco.
 The industry counts on addicting this age group
to secure future sales.
 “Younger adult smokers have been the critical factor in the growth
and decline of every major brand and company in the last 50
years…” -RJ Reynolds document
 Comprehensive policies reduce initiation
and use.
Common Questions
Do tobacco-free policies really affect
quit rates?
 A 2000 Surgeon General’s Report found
such laws decrease daily consumption and
increase cessation rates.
 Philip Morris memo: “Smokers facing (workplace
restrictions) consume 11–15% less than average
and quit 84% higher than average.”
Common Questions
Why should we worry about smokeless tobacco?
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There is no safe tobacco product.
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Industry is developing new products to continue nicotine
addiction and create dual-addiction.
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Use in the classroom can be a distraction from learning.
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Inconsistent health message:
Not caring about the health of all.
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Clean-up of toxic spit tobacco may be hazardous and
more time-consuming for custodial staff.
Common Questions
What about smoking shelters? Isn’t that a good
compromise?
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A gathering of smokers alters the perception of what
is the campus norm.
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Shelters and their maintenance are expensive and do
not protect people from secondhand smoke.
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Extra time and resources are spent on cleaning and
maintenance of shelters.
Conveys a message that smokers are not important.
And, they are subjected to more secondhand smoke.
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Common Questions
Secondhand smoke outside is not a
problem. Right?

“There is no safe level of secondhand smoke
exposure.” Surgeon General (2006)
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Children, pregnant women, people with heart
conditions, respiratory ailments, and asthma
are especially susceptible to smoke.
Common Questions
What are we really gaining?
 Tobacco-free policies ultimately save
time, money and years of human life.
 As health providers incur more costs for
treating chronic disease, insurance rates
rise.
 The strength of a college/university is its
people. A healthy environment
advances this.
What’s Next?
[Add info on your next steps]
Questions?
Campus Contacts
• [Name, title, dept, email, phone]
• [Name, title, dept, email, phone]
www.tobaccofreeU.org