The Road to a Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus: A Case Study of the University of Oregon

Facilitator: Nedzer Erilus

Many college campus environments have changed dramatically in the past ten years. Prior to 2003, the smoke free campus did not exist. Before 1999, such an idea had never been seriously considered. As of November 2012, there were over 700 colleges and universities with some sort of smoke free policy, and 209 that are entirely smoke and tobacco free. Such a rapid and dramatic policy shift needs exploration. As it stands, there are very few studies of these university policy changes. At this point, it could be very beneficial for future institutions to have an understanding of general best practices, as well as the many possible issues and stakeholders involved in making a decision to become smoke free and then implementing that decision. For this reason, I have chosen to ask the questions: What are the processes, approaches, and barriers to successful policy creation and implementation that ultimately contribute to a smoke free environment?