title: Changes in smokeless tobacco use over four years following a campus-wide anti-tobacco intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effectiveness of an institutional intervention aimed at decreasing prevalence of tobacco use over a 4-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were undergraduate students (N = 2,293) enrolled at a large Midwestern university between 2007 and 2010. In 2008, tobacco use was banned on campus. Additionally, campus-wide tobacco cessation services and information were provided to all students. A self-report measure assessing demographics and tobacco use prevalence was administered at baseline and at 3 timepoints over the following 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that smokeless tobacco use decreased significantly after the ban. Members of fraternities (a high-risk group) reported significant decreases in smokeless tobacco use for the first 2 years following the ban; however, this trend did not persist during the 3rd year of assessment. Off-campus residents displayed similar trends as fraternities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears that a campus-wide tobacco ban is an effective prevention method for decreasing smokeless tobacco use. However, initial decreases in smokeless tobacco use may not persist for some at risk groups, namely members of fraternities and students living off-campus. Future studies should examine prevalence of use over longer periods of time with a particular focus on at risk groups. Overall, this study lends considerable support for efforts toward tobacco-free campuses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA. ellen.meier@okstate.edu
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: William V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Josh L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wiener
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult