Abstract
Millions of people continue to use tobacco products, despite the wellknown
adverse health effects that they cause to the human body. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more deaths are caused each
year by tobacco use than by all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use,
motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined. The trend in tobacco and
smoke-free college campuses is a step towards decreasing the use of these
dangerous, habit forming products. Research also shows that there are no safe
levels of secondhand smoke, therefore, preventing exposure is a key component
to a healthy campus community. Although there are many different reasons for
these programs, and many different approaches to implementing these
programs, it is important to understand the highlights and the difficulties of these
policies on college campuses. This thesis works to explore and explain the
positive and negative aspects of college campus tobacco-free policies in the
United States while working to highlight and reiterate the dangers of smoking
and its effect on the surrounding community via secondhand smoke.