It’s important to work with college campuses because tobacco-free policies are proven to prevent young adults from starting tobacco use and to help tobacco smokers quit. And, these policies reduce everyone’s exposure to secondhand smoke.
Remember, almost all smokers—99 percent—start smoking before turning 27 years old. The academic institutions we’re supporting tend to serve first-generation college students, students of color and students from low socioeconomic communities. These are young people who may live in neighborhoods where tobacco product marketing is pervasive, and tobacco products, like menthol and little cigars, are readily available.