title: Few U.S. schools of nursing on campuses with smoke-free policies: A Call for Action.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Recognizing that smoke-free policies can significantly reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality by preventing exposure to second-hand smoke and increasing quit rates, members of the Tobacco Control Subgroup of the American Academy of Nursing's (AAN) Health Behavior Expert Panel launched a health policy initiative entitled the Smoke-Free Campus Policy for Schools of Nursing Campaign. Designed as a two-phased initiative, the Campaign is a Call to Action to increase smoke-free policies on campuses with Schools of Nursing across the United States by 2020.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phase I of the AAN Campaign included a cross-sectional study using secondary data analysis to describe the presence of smoke-free policies on campuses of Schools of Nursing across the United States. A list of colleges and universities with smoke-free policies maintained by the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights Foundation in January 2015 was accessed to conduct the analysis. Schools of Nursing granting baccalaureate and graduate nursing degrees were included. Descriptive statistics were obtained for Schools of Nursing by region of the country and by highest level of nursing degree program of study at each institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smoke-free policies of 689 Schools of Nursing were examined. Of these, 442 (64%) did not have 100% smoke-free policies on their campuses. A greater percentage of nursing schools without a smoke-free policy were located in the Northeast (114, 79%) and West (70, 73%). Nearly half (57, 46%) of the Schools of Nursing with a PhD/DNS program had a smoke-free policy in place compared with all other degree program levels (BS/BSN: 69, 35%; MS/MSN: 83, 35%; DNP: 38, 30%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With only 247 (36%) of Schools of Nursing on campuses with comprehensive smoke-free policies, more must be performed to promote healthy learning and working environments for nursing students, staff, and faculty. As public health advocates, nursing leaders in Schools of Nursing have a moral and ethical imperative to advance tobacco control on college campuses to meet the American College Health Association goals for smoke-free/tobacco-free environments.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky, College of Nursing, Lexington, KY. Electronic address: jheath@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hollen
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA.
authors.forename: Stella Aguinaga
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bialous
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coyne
authors.affiliation: University of California Los Angeles, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sarna
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Schools of nursing; Smoke-free policy; Tobacco control