Tobacco Free U: NYS Colleges Expel Tobacco

• Audience: Most beneficial for health professionals that are facilitating tobacco control policy change. The talk is also suitable for a wide range of levels and related roles (i.e., Tobacco control staff at a health department, tobacco coalition personnel, a college administrator, or a college-based counselor.)
• Key Points: The American Cancer Society collected tobacco policy data over the course of one year from 98 percent of college campuses across New York State (192 out of 194 colleges). Findings include: 17 percent have implemented a tobacco-free or smoke-free campus policy; 23 percent are in the process of adopting/implementing a tobacco-free or smoke-free policy in the near future; Overall, 40 percent of college campuses either have implemented or are in the process of implementing a smoke-free/tobacco-free policy; There was a sixteen-fold increase in the number of NYS colleges that have adopted smoke-free/tobacco-free policies since 2005.
• Educational Experience: The audience will learn the key points through an interactive presentation describing the NYS Colleges Tobacco-Free Initiative and how the survey and results were turned into press events during the Great American Smokeout in order to support the project goals. The data collection and reporting process can be replicated in other states.
• Benefits: To increase knowledge about the trend in tobacco free campus policies and raise awareness about new tobacco control opportunities. Also to understand how to produce a tobacco control report that can help garner earned media attention to advance project outcomes.