Surveys show that community college students and employees prefer tobacco-free campuses. Going tobacco-free can create a marketing and recruiting advantage.
A spring 2007* survey found that Oregon community college students would prefer to attend a smokefree college. The survey revealed the following:
Most students would prefer a smokefree college
- Two-thirds said they would prefer to attend a smokefree college.
- Three-quarters (including a majority of smokers) said it's OK for colleges to prohibit smoking on campus to keep secondhand smoke away from students and staff.
- Most students, regardless of age, gender, educational attainment, or race/ethnicity, said they prefer a smokefree college.
- One-third of students said they are exposed to secondhand smoke on campus every day.
- One in five students said they have experienced some immediate health impact from secondhand smoke exposure.
Most students don't smoke
- Four of five college students surveyed don't smoke.
- 59 percent of students who smoke said they tried to quit in the past year.
- Most students-including two-thirds of smokers-said that even small amounts of secondhand smoke are hazardous to your health.
In spring 2008, Lane Community College (LCC) in Eugene, Oregon, conducted its own survey with 5,219 respondents, finding a similar level of student preference for a smokefree campus. Additionally, 807 employees participated in the LCC survey, with a key finding that:
Most college employees prefer a smokefree campus
- 69 percent said they'd choose a smokefree college over one that allows smoking.
To help colleges promote their tobacco-free campus policies, we feature a list of tobacco-free colleges in Oregon and across the U.S. on this website.
"At Clark College we use our tobacco-free policy as a recruitment and marketing tool. This helps us stand out among faculty and staff seeking a healthy workplace environment." -Rebecca Wale, Environmental Health and Employee Development Manager, Clark College |
* A partnership of the Oregon Council of Student Services Administrators, the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, and the American Lung Association of Oregon commissioned the student survey.