Subscribe to the RSS feed.Mout Hood and Tillamook Comm. Colleges Now Tobacco-Free
By Guest Author Katie Fidler
Congratulations to Mt. Hood Community College and Tillamook Bay Community College for making their campuses 100% tobacco-free! Both colleges implemented tobacco-free policies in January 2010; No tobacco products of any kind are allowed on their campuses. Information on Mt. Hood Community College’s tobacco-free policy can be found here. Information on Tillamook Bay Community College’s policy will be soon available at their website.
There are now four community colleges in Oregon that are 100% tobacco-free out of the seventeen community colleges around the state (Portland Community College and Oregon Coast Community College in Newport are the other two). Other community colleges and universities in Oregon have varying degrees of tobacco policies ranging from adhering to the state Smokefree Workplace Law to having designated smoking shelters on campus.
Other higher education institutions in Oregon that are also 100% tobacco-free include: Corban College, East West College, Multnomah University, Northwest Christian University, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Walla Walla University – Portland, Warner Pacific College, and Western States Chiropractic College.
(Ed.Note: Where’s PSU, OSU or U of O?)
Comprehensive tobacco-free policies on college campuses are a growing trend across the country. In September 2009 the American College Health Association issued a position statement encouraging all colleges and universities “to be diligent in their efforts to achieve a 100% indoor and outdoor campus-wide tobacco-free environment.” Colleges or universities with comprehensive tobacco-free policies have found those policies significantly reduce the number of people exposed to environmental tobacco smoke while also positively contributing to campus sustainability and safety. As well, numerous student surveys have found that the majority of college students want tobacco-free policies on their campuses and that tobacco-free policies do not negatively impact enrollment. Click here for a list of all the tobacco-free colleges in the US.
Policy change can challenging and time-consuming; however, with the right communication and consideration, many colleges and universities have found tobacco-free policies to be highly effective and cost efficient.
For more information about helping the community college or university in your area go tobacco-free, or to find out about current tobacco policies in schools, please feel free to contact me at 503-718-6147 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
For additional information on tobacco-free colleges, please see the following resources:
http://www.tobaccofreecollege.org
http://www.lungoregon.org/tobacco/college.html
Katie Fidler, MPHc is School Policy Coordinator for the American Lung Association in Oregon. The mission of the American Lung Association in Oregon is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
