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New Report: Canadian Universities Permit Tobacco Marketing on Campus [08/27-2]
Excerpts from: Universities promote tobacco use: Report
By ROBIN HARVEY The Star.com [08/27/04]
Tobacco
marketing is widespread on campuses across Canada because most universities and
colleges ignore the real health hazards posed by student smoking, says a report
released yesterday.
"Instead of protecting students from tobacco industry marketing, our colleges and universities are profiting from it," says Isabelle Tremblay, of Laval University, one of the student researchers behind the study.
All 22 universities and half the 13 colleges surveyed for the study accepted money to market tobacco products on campus within the past year, according to the report.
Post-secondary students have been targeted by the tobacco industry, the report says. That's because they are at "a critical period" when smokers switch from experimental and occasional use to daily addiction.
Post-secondary students are also prime targets since many are living away from home for the first time, the report says. They are also undergoing many changes in their lifestyle and significant stresses — socially educationally and emotionally, the report says.
The report cites many figure to show that smoking among post secondary students is a serious problem that campus officials, who allow on campus marketing, are not addressing.
It notes that about 31 per cent of young adults age 19 to 24 smoke — the highest rate of smoking among all Canadians. And the proportion of daily smokes increases from 8 per cent to 22 per cent among young adults.
University and college students make up 30 per cent of all adults smokers and 7 per cent of smokers in Canada, it says.
And they smoke at a 50 per cent higher rate than the general population. In fact, smoking rates increased from 18 per cent for Canadians age 15-19 to 30 per cent of those ages 20 to 24, according to Health Canada.
The report cites many figure to show that smoking among post secondary students is a serious problem that campus officials, who allow on campus marketing, are not addressing.
It notes that about 31 per cent of young adults age 19 to 24 smoke — the highest rate of smoking among all Canadians. And the proportion of daily smokes increases from 8 per cent to 22 per cent among young adults.
University and college students make up 30 per cent of all adults smokers and 7 per cent of smokers in Canada, it says.
And they smoke at a 50 per cent higher rate than the general population. In fact, smoking rates increased from 18 per cent for Canadians age 15-19 to 30 per cent of those ages 20 to 24, according to Health Canada.
A spokesperson for the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada said the group — which represents 92 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges — said the group is reviewing the report.
The report cited Dalhousie University — which does not allow smoking anywhere on campus — and Wilfrid Laurier University — which does not allow tobacco to be sold or advertised on campus — as good examples for other campuses to follow.
The report urged that all types of tobacco advertising and promotion be banned on campuses as well as the sales of tobacco products.
Physicians for a Smoke Free Canada funded the study with money from Health Canada.
The survey was conducted between February and April this year.
click here to view this report (PDF)
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