About

During the Spring 2013 semester, the California State University, Long Beach campus student body voted to institute a stronger smoke-free policy on campus.  In addition, many years of research conducted by a variety of entities has established the adverse health effects of smoking and tobacco use on both users and bystanders. Responding to the expression of support for a smoke-free campus and the desire to provide and maintain a workplace and learning environment that promotes the safety and health of students, faculty, staff, and the public, President Conoley established a campus task force to develop a campus tobacco and smoke free policy and implementation plan for California State University, Long Beach. The task force membership was designed to represent all campus constituencies, including the population who currently smokes and/or uses tobacco products.

Furthermore, to engage the campus community in a dialogue regarding becoming a tobacco and smoke free campus and to seek input from all constituencies, a tobacco survey was distributed and focus groups among the California State University, Long Beach campus community were held. Of the respondents, students represented 77%, staff represented 13%, faculty represented 9%, and administrators represented 1%.  Among all respondents, 52% reported that second hand smoke typically bothers them a lot.  Among all respondents, 75% support CSULB becoming a smoke/tobacco-free campus. The demographics of those who support CSULB becoming a smoke/tobacco-free campus is as follows: 80% of administrators, 80% of faculty, 82% of staff, and 73% of students.

Task Force

In 2013, CSULB’s student body voted on a referendum to make the campus a smoke-free environment. At the time of the vote, student-voter turnout was at a record high and the referendum was approved by about 64 percent of voters.

Following this, President Conoley convened a university-wide task force comprised of students, faculty and staff to provide suggestions on how best to implement a new comprehensive smoking and tobacco policy by fall 2016. The task force has helped develop recommendations on how to construct and implement the new policy. Central to their work has been the development of the Breathe campaign that will ensure those most affected by the outcome of the referendum continue to feel like highly valued members of the Beach community.

For more information, see the report of the CSULB Tobacco and Smoke Free Task Force.