Abstract

Session presented on Thursday, July 21, 2016 and Friday, July 22, 2016:

Purpose: Nurses have a responsibility to promote health and prevent illness within their communities by helping to change the social norm of cigarette use. On July 1, 2015, Eastern Michigan University implemented a policy to make its campus tobacco-free, joining colleges across the United States. Currently, there are at least 1,475 U.S. colleges and universities that are 100% smoke-free campuses (American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 2016). Social policies against cigarette use have become more prevalent in recent years, including university campuses, hospital campuses, restaurants, and requiring mandatory tobacco-screenings for healthcare workers. This research will analyze previous studies of the impact these policies have on smoking rates in surrounding communities. This data will be compared with the effects of the smoking ban at Eastern Michigan University. The research will then be used to determine whether smoking bans are effective in lowering smoking rates.

Methods: This research will analyze previous studies on smoking bans and their effects on the community in which they are implemented. Such studies include: mandatory tobacco screening for healthcare employees, university campuses, hospital campuses, and restaurants. It will also provide original research using the results of an online survey sent to faculty and students at Eastern Michigan University regarding the effects of the smoking ban.

Results: Results are not yet determined. Research is ongoing, and data collection is expected to be completed in March 2016. This study predicts that smoking bans, such as the one implemented at the college campus in this study, have a direct effect on lowering cigarette use in surrounding areas.

Conclusion: The research will determine whether smoking bans are an effective way to lower smoking rates in their surrounding community. This research has an impact on nurses due to their commitment to promote health and prevent illness in the community, therefore helping to change the social norm of cigarette use.

Author Details

Isabelle F. McCormack

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Smoking, Ban, Nursing

Conference Name

27th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Cape Town, South Africa

Conference Year

2016

Rights Holder

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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

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Proxy-submission

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Changing the social norm: Effectiveness of smoking bans

Cape Town, South Africa

Session presented on Thursday, July 21, 2016 and Friday, July 22, 2016:

Purpose: Nurses have a responsibility to promote health and prevent illness within their communities by helping to change the social norm of cigarette use. On July 1, 2015, Eastern Michigan University implemented a policy to make its campus tobacco-free, joining colleges across the United States. Currently, there are at least 1,475 U.S. colleges and universities that are 100% smoke-free campuses (American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 2016). Social policies against cigarette use have become more prevalent in recent years, including university campuses, hospital campuses, restaurants, and requiring mandatory tobacco-screenings for healthcare workers. This research will analyze previous studies of the impact these policies have on smoking rates in surrounding communities. This data will be compared with the effects of the smoking ban at Eastern Michigan University. The research will then be used to determine whether smoking bans are effective in lowering smoking rates.

Methods: This research will analyze previous studies on smoking bans and their effects on the community in which they are implemented. Such studies include: mandatory tobacco screening for healthcare employees, university campuses, hospital campuses, and restaurants. It will also provide original research using the results of an online survey sent to faculty and students at Eastern Michigan University regarding the effects of the smoking ban.

Results: Results are not yet determined. Research is ongoing, and data collection is expected to be completed in March 2016. This study predicts that smoking bans, such as the one implemented at the college campus in this study, have a direct effect on lowering cigarette use in surrounding areas.

Conclusion: The research will determine whether smoking bans are an effective way to lower smoking rates in their surrounding community. This research has an impact on nurses due to their commitment to promote health and prevent illness in the community, therefore helping to change the social norm of cigarette use.