Campus Tobacco Ban

Tobacco Free Policies

• 14 public universities: 12 public universities fully ban tobacco products, including e-cigarettes; two allow tobacco products in designated areas.
• 23 community colleges: 14 public community colleges fully ban tobacco products, including e-cigarettes; nine allow tobacco products in designated areas.

Background

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018 10.4% of adults age 18 to 24 years smoked.

As of November 2017, at least 2,082 U.S. colleges and universities had smoke-free policies, twice as many as in 2012. Among these campuses, 1,743 had tobacco-free policies and some specifically prohibited electronic cigarette use (1,658) and hookah smoking (854).

In 2012, the Ohio Board of Regents voted unanimously to issue a strong recommendation to Ohio's college and university trustees that each campus should consider implementing a policy to become tobacco-free.