Date of Award

5-2016

Document Type

Open Access Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Biology

Advisor

Linda Dunphy

Director

Rajini Srikanth

Subject Categories

Health Policy | Higher Education | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

To date, one of the greatest successes in the field of public health has been the nationwide awareness campaign about the negative health effects of smoking cigarettes and using tobacco. Smoking and tobacco use have been associated with a number of health problems including the increased risk of cancers and cardiovascular diseases (Office on Smoking and Health 446). The success of the anti-smoking initiative can be attributed to a number of public outreach methods including TV advertisement bans on cigarettes, an increase on taxes on cigarettes, the placement of the Surgeon General’s warning on cigarette packaging and smoking and tobacco regulations in public and private locations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1). To combat the loss in sales due to this public health campaign, the tobacco industry spends an estimated $34 million a day on the marketing and promotion of their products (Glassman et. al 765). A significant amount of this marketing targets young adults and youth who have the potential to take up lifelong tobacco use (Glassman et. al 765). As a result, many institutions of higher education have adopted policies that limit or ban smoking or tobacco use on their campuses. Data collected from universities with comprehensive tobacco-free policies indicates that fewer students report exposure to secondhand smoke (Fallin et. al 1098). There is a strong consensus among health representatives that universities seeking to implement a tobacco-free policy should also employ an enforcement plan for optimal success. The University of Massachusetts Boston’s recently introduced tobacco-free policy prohibits all tobacco use and activity on university owned property. The future of success for this policy relies on the development of a comprehensive enforcement plan, which will increase compliance and strengthen the university’s commitment to a healthy academic environment.

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