Campus Tobacco Ban

Background

According to the Ohio Department of Health, more than one in four young adults (ages 18 to 24) currently smoke cigarettes. 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.

The number of campus smoking bans has increased nationally by more than 2,000% in the past ten years. In 2006 there were an estimated 34 colleges and universities with a 100% smoke-free campus; as of April 3, 2017, there are now at least 1,827 that have implemented this no-smoking policy. These bans specify that all buildings, residence halls, and the entire campus are entirely smoke-free, with no exceptions. There are now three states where the law prohibits smoking on all public campuses (Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Iowa), affecting a total of 128 campuses.