Smoke-free: Real Breathing Space - Breathing Space Blog

Emily Bazar, in USA TODAY writes, “Colleges are snuffing out smoking everywhere on campus, even in outdoor light-up spots such as main quads and sidewalks.”

“At least 43 campuses from California to New Jersey have gone smoke-free, a trend that is accelerating,” according to Americans for Non-smokers' Rights. “Most have been community colleges and commuter schools, but more large universities with student housing are debating campus-wide bans,” says the group's Bronson Frick.

"We want our institution to make a statement about doing the right things when it comes to good health," says Chuck Kupchella, president of the 13,000-student University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He intends to transform UND into a tobacco-free zone. "Smokers still will have rights, but just not on our campus."

Nearly 31% of full-time college students smoke, compared with about 25% of the overall population, according to the federal government's 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.