|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 17, 2010
Half of North Carolina Community Colleges Have 100% Smoke-Free Campuses
HWTF Celebrates Historic Achievement as Part of Great American Smoke Out
RALEIGH, NC - As Great American Smoke Out (GASO) events across North Carolina help smokers quit on Nov. 18th, the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) celebrates community colleges' successes in adopting clean air policies.
Half of North Carolina's 58 community colleges now have smoke-free policies that protect students and staff from secondhand smoke and help tobacco users quit. Approximately 121,300 community college students are protected from secondhand smoke under these policies. North Carolina has the highest number of colleges in the nation with voluntarily adopted tobacco-free policies.
College of the Albemarle adopted the first policy protecting faculty, staff, and students from tobacco use on campus grounds and in buildings in December 2006. Rockingham Community College's adoption of a tobacco-free campus policy in September 2010 brought the total to 29 community colleges. Including private schools and UNC campuses, 41 campuses in North Carolina have the most protective policy allowed by law (protecting over 177,000 students).
"Tobacco-free policies are the best ways to help tobacco users quit and to protect the health of everyone on campus," notes Dr. Adam O. Goldstein Director of the Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. UNC researchers track policy change on college campuses across the state to help promote healthier environments for students and staff as part of the North Carolina Tobacco-Free Colleges Initiative. The Initiative, funded by HWTF, was recently recognized as a national leader in promoting voluntary policy adoption in the international journal Tobacco Control.
Clean air policies are responsible for major reductions in asthma-related hospital admissions for children and heart attacks among adults.
"Changes like these help keep college students and staff healthy. They are a key investment in a healthier, more productive North Carolina," said Dr. Laura Gerald, HWTF Executive Director. "We are particularly proud of the efforts of community colleges, which have taken a leadership role in ensuring a stronger, healthier workforce for the State."
For tobacco users who want to quit, free quit coaching is available toll-free from QuitlineNC at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) from 8 a.m. until 3 a.m. every day.
The Great American SmokeOut, a nationwide event sponsored by the American Cancer Society, encourages tobacco users to give up their habit for one day and inspires them to make a complete break from tobacco now or in the future.
ABOUT THE NC HEALTH AND WELLNESS TRUST FUND
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund makes North Carolina stronger, both physically and economically, by funding programs that promote preventive health. Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina's share of the national tobacco settlement, HWTF has invested $199 million to support preventive health initiatives and $116 million to fund prescription drug assistance programs. For more information, please visit www.HealthWellNC.com.
|
