Home 
News News releases Student news Fewer butts means less smoking on campuses with tobacco-free policies
News News releases Student news Fewer butts means less smoking on campuses with tobacco-free policies 
| Fewer butts means less smoking on campuses with tobacco-free policies |
| December 20, 2011 | |
|
A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study reveals that fewer cigarette butts are being found on college campuses since new policies banning tobacco use were adopted, suggesting that restricting tobacco use on school property effectively reduces smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. Researchers from UNC's family medicine department compared 19 community college campuses across the state that had adopted one of three types of policies: 100 percent tobacco free; partial bans that limit smoking to designated areas or at least 15 feet from buildings; or no policies regarding smoking outdoors or secondhand smoke exposure (state law already bans smoking indoors).
The study found that campuses with 100 percent tobacco-free campus policies had 77 percent less cigarette litter than campuses with no policy on smoking outdoors.
Adam Goldstein, MD, professor of family medicine in the UNC School of Medicine and director of the Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program, was the study's senior author. Leah Ranney, PhD, associate director of the program, was a co-author.
 Joseph Lee Researchers collected cigarette butts at main entrances to key buildings on the 19 campuses. Results showed that tobacco-free community college campuses had significantly fewer cigarette butts at entrances than those with limited or no outdoor restrictions.
As one of the first studies to evaluate the impact of college campus tobacco-free policies using an objective measure - cigarette litter - the findings show promise for future work on tobacco-free campus policies and their potential effects on student well-being, university operational costs and the environment, the researchers said.
# # # UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu. |
|
| Last updated December 20, 2011 |