CADCA Partners with Virginia Department of Health on Tobacco Policy Dashboard to Encourage Tobacco-Free Campuses

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CADCA's Geographic Health Equity Alliance (GHEA) is proud to announce its collaboration with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Eliminate Tobacco Use (ETU) Virginia in the development of the Virginia Higher Education Tobacco Policy Dashboard, a public health initiative that aims to reduce tobacco* and e-cigarette use on campuses. Slated to be updated annually, the new dashboard contains detailed report cards on tobacco policies for 49 public and private higher education institutions in Virginia.

The Virginia ETU is made up of engaged partners across the Commonwealth of Virginia from public and private four-year institutions, tobacco focused organizations, and the Virginia Department of Health Tobacco Control Program. After several years of hard work and collaboration with Virginia universities, this dashboard offers a comprehensive tool for evaluating and enhancing tobacco policies across the state's colleges and universities. The report cards reveal existing strengths and offer areas for improvement, based on standards set by the Americans for Non-Smokers Rights Foundation (ANR).

Virginia does not have a comprehensive smokefree law, leaving many people at risk from the dangers of secondhand Smoke. On July 1st, 2019, all K-12 schools in Virginia implemented tobacco-free policies, which helped address this issue. However, this law does not extend to higher education institutions. Alarmingly, Virginia ranks second to last in the nation, with only 5.4% of higher education campuses adopting tobacco free polices. 

We know there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and even a brief encounter can cause immediate harm. Additionally, individuals who do not smoke who are exposed to secondhand smoke, even for a short time can experience detrimental health effects. The American College Health Association continues to advocate for a fully tobacco-free environment in all college and university settings, both indoors and outdoors, to protect the health of the students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the community. This emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining tobacco-free environments, particularly in spaces where young adults convene, many of whom are at risk of beginning tobacco use. 

"CADCA's involvement in this initiative shows our commitment to building safer, healthier, and stronger communities everywhere," said CADCA President and CEO Barrye L. Price, Ph.D. "This interactive dashboard encourages universities to adopt and enhance tobacco policies that not only prevent the use of addictive and dangerous products, but also protect everyone from secondhand smoke." 

This partnership between CADCA, ETU Virginia, and VDH represents a mutual desire to facilitate healthier communities by reducing tobacco use and preventing the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke.

It is also a key step in helping Virginia colleges and universities understand what areas they are doing well in and how their tobacco campus policies can be improved. According to ANR, there are at least 2,168 tobacco-free campuses throughout the U.S. By supporting local higher education institutions in strengthening their tobacco policies, CADCA and VDH are playing a crucial role in protecting the health of students, staff, faculty, and surrounding communities. 

To explore the dashboard, visit VDH's website. 

*Disclaimer: When CADCA references tobacco, we are referring to commercial tobacco, which includes e-cigarettes and not the sacred and traditional use of tobacco by some Native American communities. 

About CADCA 

CADCA is the premier prevention association equipping coalitions with tools, knowledge, and support to create positive change in their communities. CADCA's vision is safer, healthier, and stronger communities everywhere. Through our work we have built a network of more than 7,000 coalitions across the United States and over 28 countries. At the core of CADCA's creation is the belief in the effectiveness and efficiency of local coalitions as catalysts for drug-free communities globally, combating substance misuse through the implementation of comprehensive strategies for community change. 

About GHEA 

The Geographic Health Equity Alliance (GHEA) is one of nine CDC funded National Networks dedicated to reducing health disparities related to tobacco and cancer. Our focus is on reducing geographic health disparities, which we define as the differences in health behaviors, outcomes, and policies related to where people live, work, and play. GHEA is supported by CADCA, and jointly funded by the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) through CDC-RFA-DP-23-0015: CDC's National Network's Driving Action: Preventing Tobacco- and Cancer-Related Health Disparities by Building Equitable Communities. 

Media Contact 

Maria Egan, mariaegan@cadca.org, 703-706-0560 ext. 283 

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SOURCE CADCA