Why are tobacco/vape-free college campuses important?
With 98% of smokers starting before age 26, college campuses are critical to preventing young adults from starting tobacco use, aiding current smokers in quitting and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke for all. The recent surge in youth e-cigarette use — 27.5% of high school students are now vaping — has made it even more important for schools to adopt policies and ensure those policies include e-cigarette use. Vaping is driving an overall increase in youth tobacco use to almost a third of high schoolers — 31.2% — a rate unseen in nearly two decades.
Support for 100% tobacco-free policies on college campuses has skyrocketed in recent years. The number of college and universities with 100% smoke-free or tobacco-free policies tripled, from 446 campuses in 2010 to 2,487 campuses in 2020.