Go Tobacco-free Program Assists Other College Campuses Adopt Policies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 5, 2014) − The Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing is launching a special initiative, Go Tobacco-free, that will provide valuable information for college campuses who have tobacco-free policies or who want to adopt a tobacco-free policy.

'Go Tobacco-free' will provide technical assistance using an evidence-based policy implementation approach with a focus on compliance and evaluation. A monthly newsletter will be distributed via the online listserv to share valuable resources. Additionally, Go Tobacco-free aims to create a collaborative network for individuals doing similar work.

"Considering the benefits of implementing tobacco-free policies on college campuses, it is important to share lessons learned with others advocating for or implementing these campus policies. We receive numerous requests from those facing barriers to implementing tobacco-free campus policies or those who just want to see what’s working. We decided it was important to make this information readily available and continue to connect individuals working on campus policies," said Melinda Ickes, director of Go Tobacco-free, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky.

Anyone who joins the network to become part of the tobacco-free movement will receive monthly updates on the current state of tobacco-free campuses; success stories will be shared by other campuses, barriers other campuses are facing will be discussed, and evidence-based strategies will be disseminated to promote successful policy adoption and compliance.

To kick-off the launch of Go Tobacco-free, the KCSP sponsored a competition last December for anyone who wanted to enter an original design to serve as the official Go Tobacco-free logo. Brittany Holian, a junior Interior Design major from Middletown, Md., won the $1,000 for her prize winning logo.

Holian has worked for the Center of Student Involvement and the Student Government Association as a graphic designer for two years. As a UK Visitor's Center campus tour guide, she walks the campus on a daily basis, answering questions about the Tobacco-free policy and UK's commitment to go tobacco-free.

"I entered the competition because within design, I am always attracted to the opportunity to have an effect on the environment and how users experience the environment -- whatever that may be -- an interior, a building, or a campus," she said.

"I want the logo I designed to communicate not just the typical 'stop smoking' message, but something greater than that.  I want the logo to provoke thought, and make people think about not the here and now, but the future...as well as those around them.  The 'Live' represents the reader, the 'Breathe' represents themselves but also the actions of others around them, and the 'Be' is a statement of the future.  The Go Tobacco-Free lifestyle is not only for UK students now, but instead a life-long commitment to being healthy and tobacco-free."

The American College Health Association encourages all colleges and universities to promote a smoke- or tobacco-free environment.  Doing so decreases the risk of individual exposure to secondhand smoke, increases demand for tobacco cessation treatment, decreases tobacco-related healthcare costs, and sends a clear message about promoting health.

To join the Go Tobacco-free listserv, please click on the link below to register https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3b1bwfnyy6sEKcR  You can also contact Melinda Ickes (melinda.ickes@uky.edu) for more information or follow Go Tobacco-free on Twitter @GoTobaccofree. 

Media Contact:  Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu