Evaluating tobacco policies in colleges/universities using a practical rating tool

Audience:

The primary audience includes policy evaluators, health educators, policymakers, and tobacco control advocates.

Key Points:

The Center for Tobacco Policy Research developed the Higher Education Tobacco Policy Index tool in order to evaluate tobacco policies in institutions of higher education. During this session, presenters will discuss the challenges and opportunities of the evaluation process (e.g., collecting policies, using the tool, rating policies). Attendees will have the opportunity to utilize the tool by assessing sample polices. To illustrate the differences in policy language that evaluators may encounter, presenters will compare the language in policies that received high scores with those that did not. Presenters will also share findings from the statewide pilot of the tool in Missouri.

Educational Experience:

The presentation will encompass a detailed step-by-step demonstration of how to use the rating tool. By the end of the session, attendees will have the tool and skills necessary to evaluate the strength of tobacco policies in order to inform future policy development and amendments.

Benefits:

Colleges/universities can have a considerable impact on the culture surrounding tobacco use by young adults. Considering that this stage of life is when most long-term smokers begin smoking, it is imperative to enact policies that can help prevent smoking initiation. This rating tool can be used to identify gaps in current tobacco-related policies and to inform future efforts to develop more comprehensive policies. Strong policies that restrict tobacco use in institutions of higher education can have a deep, positive impact on the health of students, employees, visitors, and the general community.