How your college can lead the way to a smoke- and tobacco-free campus

Tobacco and vaping products are proven to be harmful to smokers and those around them. While most US colleges continue to allow smoking on campus, 17 percent have taken a leadership stance by implementing a tobacco-free campus policy. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths in the US every year. That number includes over 41,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmoking adults. The American Cancer Society (ACS) confirms that smoking accounts for about 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the US, and about 80 percent of lung cancer deaths. Smoking also increases the risk for lung diseases, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and a myriad of other health conditions.

Health and wellness benefits of smoke-free and tobacco-free campus policies

In recent years, there has been a steep decline in traditional cigarette use among college-age young adults; however, use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) like vaping and e-cigarettes has sharply increased. One study published in the Journal of American College Health found that some college students perceived vaping as “normal, trendy, and useful in circumventing smoke-free campus policies,” despite the health risks and the fact that nicotine is highly addictive.

The CDC recommends that colleges and universities implement and enforce smoke-free and tobacco-free policies. These policies can help protect non-smokers and those who are particularly susceptible (e.g., people with asthma) from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and e-cigarette aerosols.

According to the ACS, smoke-free and tobacco-free campus policies are particularly impactful when implemented at the college level because 99 percent of adult cigarette smokers began smoking before the age of 26. Implementing effective wellness messaging around tobacco use can help you encourage everyone to learn, live, work, and thrive in a healthier environment. 

CampusWell can help you promote a culture of smoke-free wellness

Whether or not you already have an official tobacco-free campus policy, CampusWell can support your public health and wellness efforts in this area alongside various other health promotion initiatives. We recognize and advocate for all eight dimensions of wellness for your students. Our unique weekly student-centered content is created and delivered via our online platform and is customized and branded for your school. Our rigorous standards ensure that every article, video, and infographic is based on scientific evidence, and the tone and style relate to students in an educational, yet friendly and non-judgmental way. 

Some examples of recently published articles that promote quitting smoking are:

• Do you really know what’s in your e-cigarette?
• 5 ways vaping can mess with your teeth and gums
• Smoking Q&A: What do we know about vaping, juuling, and cigarettes?

The CampusWell platform provides an excellent opportunity to communicate and connect with students en masse in a format that they enjoy. Beyond health promotion, all administrative departments at member schools can collaboratively use the CampusWell platform to promote their own initiatives, events, workshops, and resources. Some colleges even get students involved in creating and publishing custom content about their campus, fellow students, and community.