The effectiveness of the University System of Georgia’s Tobacco-Free Policy: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The effectiveness of the University System of Georgia’s Tobacco-Free Policy: An Exploratory Study

Introduction:

Legislators in Georgia began focusing their efforts on reducing the usage of tobacco on college campuses as 99% of adult smokers first start using tobacco before the age of 26. The University System of Georgia (USG) mandated that as of October 1st, 2014, all public universities within the system would be tobacco-free campuses. This study explores this policy's effectiveness by examining the prevalence of tobacco smoking among Georgian college-aged adults before and after the mandate.

Methods:

This study utilizes a quantitative, cross-sectional observational study design based on secondary data, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), from 2010 to 2021. We visually observed that data to determine if there were any changes in the percentage of smokers throughout the 11 years.

Results:

The smoking precentages of adults aged 18-24 decreased by 25.9% from 2010-2021. For adults aged 25-29, the smoking precentages decreased by 15.2%. The final sub-group, adults aged 30-34 had a decrease of 7.4%.

Conclusion:

Tobacco-free policies in colleges and universities are implemented nationwide to reduce the prevalence of tobacco product use and secondhand smoke exposure. The results of this study should be a guide for policymakers in their decisions in the continued efforts to promote the health and well-being of people who learn, live, work, and gather in the surrounding environments.

Keywords

Smoking, Policies, Adults

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The effectiveness of the University System of Georgia’s Tobacco-Free Policy: An Exploratory Study

The effectiveness of the University System of Georgia’s Tobacco-Free Policy: An Exploratory Study

Introduction:

Legislators in Georgia began focusing their efforts on reducing the usage of tobacco on college campuses as 99% of adult smokers first start using tobacco before the age of 26. The University System of Georgia (USG) mandated that as of October 1st, 2014, all public universities within the system would be tobacco-free campuses. This study explores this policy's effectiveness by examining the prevalence of tobacco smoking among Georgian college-aged adults before and after the mandate.

Methods:

This study utilizes a quantitative, cross-sectional observational study design based on secondary data, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), from 2010 to 2021. We visually observed that data to determine if there were any changes in the percentage of smokers throughout the 11 years.

Results:

The smoking precentages of adults aged 18-24 decreased by 25.9% from 2010-2021. For adults aged 25-29, the smoking precentages decreased by 15.2%. The final sub-group, adults aged 30-34 had a decrease of 7.4%.

Conclusion:

Tobacco-free policies in colleges and universities are implemented nationwide to reduce the prevalence of tobacco product use and secondhand smoke exposure. The results of this study should be a guide for policymakers in their decisions in the continued efforts to promote the health and well-being of people who learn, live, work, and gather in the surrounding environments.