Leading the Charge for Tobacco-free Campuses in a Tobacco State

Audience: Tobacco control advocates, researchers, and policymakers Key Points: This case study illustrates the contributions of both grassroots and grasstops leadership in adopting and implementing a tobacco-free campus policy. A tobacco control researcher/advocate and a university president led the tobacco-free campus initiative at a large public university. As college, university, and healthcare campuses adopt 100% tobacco-free policies, tobacco control advocates and administrators play key roles in setting the agenda for change, advocacy, collaborative implementation planning, and tobacco treatment. The goal of the campus-wide policy was to create a healthy place to live, work, and learn. A systematic 10-month planning period engaged a total of 200 stakeholders from 35 campus sectors including faculty, staff, students, and neighbors. The policy was integrated into existing student code of conduct and employee corrective action procedures. A climate of compliance vs. heavy-handed enforcement was created over time. The university funded 12 weeks of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for employees, students, and sponsored dependents who participated in behavioral counseling. Campus tobacco users were four times more likely to use university resources to quit in the two years after the policy took effect. NRT sales in the medical center pharmacy nearly doubled within two years after the policy was implemented. Supportive administrators and key tobacco control professionals provide critical leadership through all phases of tobacco-free policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Educational Experience: Lecture/panel Benefits: Hearing firsthand the challenges of adopting a tobacco-free campus policy from advocates and administrators will help those engaged in these campaigns.