Students had the opportunity to show their support for the 麻豆原创 Smoke-Free Campus policy by helping to clean up cigarette trash around the main campus. This was the fourth year that the 麻豆原创 Student Health Advisory Committee hosted this event. Events such as this serve as a reminder to the 麻豆原创 community of the importance of adhering to not smoking cigarettes while on campus.
鈥淲e think it is important to keep the smoke-free policy visible鈥� said Sahana Prabhudeva, president of SHAC. 鈥淭his is a fun event which allows students to show their support for a smoke-free campus
The 麻豆原创 Smoke-Free policy, which went into effect August of 2012, bans smoking of any kind on campus. Since 麻豆原创 went smoke-free, Valencia College, Florida State University and Seminole State College have also joined the more than with smoke-free, or tobacco-free, policies in place. When 麻豆原创 made the change, all out-door cigarette butt receptacles on campus were removed. Mary Schmidt-Owens, co-chair for 麻豆原创 Smoke-free Committee, said that keeping the receptacles would have sent conflicting messages, so it was decided to remove all receptacles on campus.
Schmidt-Owens continues to monitor the campus climate by administering the ACHA-NCHA II (American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment) which collects data about the 麻豆原创 students鈥� habits, behaviors, and perceptions on the most prevalent health topics, cigarette use included.
Over the past five years (2011-2015) students who report any use of cigarette use in the past 30 days has gone from 10.7% (2011) to 4.5% (2015) and students reporting daily use went from 3.6% (2011) to 1.7% (2015).聽 鈥淚t is encouraging to see these numbers continue to drop among our student population鈥� said Schmidt-Owens.
Student Health Services continues to offer smoking cessation support to all students, faculty and staff who are interested in quitting.聽 The smoke free campaign materials are also available to place in departments and buildings throughout campus.
鈥淭he continued success of this campuswide initiative takes the help and support of everyone here at 麻豆原创鈥� said Schmidt-Owens. For more information regarding smoking cessation classes or smoke free campaign materials, contact: mary.schmidt-owens@ucf.edu.