Adoption of an outdoor residential Hall smoking policy in a California public university: a case study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Because secondhand smoke is a public health concern, many colleges have adopted bans to ensure healthier environments. This study demonstrates how outdoor smoking policy change can be accomplished at a large public university. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 1,537 students housed in residential communities at the University of California, Berkeley, who completed an online survey. METHODS: A proposal for smoke-free residential communities that included student resident survey data was prepared. RESULTS: The survey data indicated that most students (77%) were bothered by secondhand smoke, and most (66%) favored smoke-free environments. The data were used to advocate for a change in the residential community smoking policy. CONCLUSION: The survey data and institutional comparisons played a key role in administrators' decision-making about campus smoking policy. Despite administrators' concerns about students' safety and freedom of choice, student-led advocacy was able to influence policy change.