UW-Madison students, faculty support tobacco-free campus

Many UW-Madison students, faculty and staff are in support of a tobacco-free campus, according to a recent survey.

A Tobacco-Free Columbia-Dane County Coalition survey distributed in October 2017, in partnership with Public Health Madison and Dane County and the UW-Madison SPARK organization, found that 81 percent of student respondents support the campus going tobacco-free. Eighty-five percent of the 1,779 faculty and academic staff respondents and 77 percent of 682 university staff also voted in favor of eliminating tobacco.

A tobacco-free campus would ban the use of cigarettes and all tobacco products, including chew, cigars and vaping products, officials said.

“Nicotine can change the structure of a still-developing young adult brain, making it more susceptible to other [addictive] behaviors,” UW-SPARK President Marina Caliendo said. “Our campus organization is dedicated to educating the UW-Madison campus about the harmful effects of tobacco use, including vaping. Ultimately, we envision a tobacco-free UW-Madison where no one is exposed to secondhand smoke or vapor, and all students can enjoy a healthier environment.”

If UW-Madison became a tobacco-free campus, the university would join the ranks of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska, Penn State and Marquette University.