OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE COLLEGE TOBACCO
USE
Campuses are communities within themselves, but they are
influenced by an array of factors beyond their boundaries.
Outside influences can have an impact on campus tobacco use,
campus tobacco policy options, and the effectiveness of campus
tobacco prevention strategies. It is thus important to consider
outside factors when determining what action steps to take
in addressing campus tobacco use.
State and Local Tobacco Policies
State and local tobacco policies can have a direct impact
on campus tobacco use, policy, and prevention activities.
For example, Connecticut College in New London, CT, declared
all dormitories smoke-free as of August 2003 in anticipation
of a new state law prohibiting smoking in the workplace.
In some parts of the country, increasingly restrictive state
and local tobacco policies, such as smoke-free restaurants
and bars, discourage tobacco use in off-campus social venues.
Alternatively, off-campus restaurants and bars that allow
smoking create challenges for campuses trying to discourage
tobacco use by providing social venues that normalize tobacco
use.
The process of investigating state and local policies may
help you identify tobacco prevention allies and potential
funding sources at the community level.
For current information about state and local tobacco laws,
see our list of State
and Regional Initiatives in the Resources and Links section
of this site or follow these links:
CDC’s
State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System (STATE)
National
List of Smoke-Free Ordinances
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights Foundation
CDC’s
State Tobacco Control Highlights 1999
Compendium of state tobacco laws
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College Investment in Tobacco
Stocks
Colleges invest endowment and foundation funds in
a variety of holdings, including tobacco stocks. Some colleges
have decided that investing school monies into the tobacco
industry violates ethical principles and have divested, selling
some or all of their tobacco industry stock. For example,
the University of Michigan divested from all tobacco stock
in 2000. By taking this type of action, universities can symbolically
demonstrate their commitment to tobacco-free communities,
contributing to a tobacco-free normative environment.
“Big Tobacco Sucks,” the campaign against transnational
tobacco, has written an excellent guide to divestment for
colleges. The guide entitled “Death is a Bad Investment—The
Tobacco Industry, Corporate Power, & Your School’s
Money: A Divestment Action Guide” can be downloaded
at:
http://www.bigtobaccosucks.org/home/pdf/Divestment_Action_Guide.pdf
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Tobacco Marketing to Youth Aged
18-24
When the Master Settlement Agreement prohibited the tobacco
industry from marketing tobacco products to children under
age 18, youth aged 18-24 became the primary marketing target
for the tobacco industry. Tobacco companies market to youth
through advertising, the alternative press, bar promotions,
and events at fraternities and sororities. For example, off-campus
bars in localities without smoke-free bar and restaurant ordinances
may distribute free cigarettes to students as part of tobacco
industry “sampling” promotions. See our “Marketing
to 18-24 Year-olds” fact sheet to learn more about
the impact of tobacco industry marketing on college students.
For more information on tobacco marketing to youth, see the
following resources:
Cummings K, Morley C, Horan J, Steger C, and Leavell N-R.
“Marketing to America’s Youth: Evidence from Corporate
Documents” Tobacco Control. 11(2002):i15-i17. Full text
available online at:
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/11/suppl_1/i5
Ling P, and Glantz S. “Why and how the tobacco industry
sells cigarettes to young adults.”
Powerpoint Presentation available online at:
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/misc/powerpoint.shtml
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