Adoption of an Outdoor Residential Hall Smoking Policy in a California Public University: A Case Study

Abstract

Objective: Because secondhand smoke is a public health concern, many colleges have adopted bans to ensure healthier environments. This study demonstrates how outdoor smoking policy change can be accomplished at a large public university. Participants: The participants were 1,537 students housed in residential communities at the University of California, Berkeley, who completed an online survey. Methods: A proposal for smoke-free residential communities that included student resident survey data was prepared. Results: The survey data indicated that most students (77%) were bothered by secondhand smoke, and most (66%) favored smoke-free environments. The data were used to advocate for a change in the residential community smoking policy. Conclusion: The survey data and institutional comparisons played a key role in administrators’ decision-making about campus smoking policy. Despite administrators’ concerns about students’ safety and freedom of choice, student-led advocacy was able to influence policy change.

Keywords :

• community health
• health education
• other drugs

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This article was supported by a Cooperative Agreement (no. 1U48DP001908) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Prevention Research Centers Program. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC.

We are indebted to Kim Homer-Vagadori, MPH, Project Director for the California Youth Advocacy Network, for providing us with her expertise and resources on college tobacco policy.