Survey: Most Penn State students support smoke-free lifestyle

University Park, Pa. -- Student Affairs Research and Assessment at Penn State recently released the Spring 2007 Survey on Student Smoking. The Pulse survey focused on students' current tobacco use, their perceptions of the risks of smoking and secondhand smoke, and their attitudes toward clean air policies. Among the relevant findings, the survey found that most students (78 percent) do not currently smoke and only 6 percent of students smoke everyday. Most students (74 percent) also support a statewide, comprehensive ban on smoking in public places. Additionally, 65 percent of all students support a campus wide ban (including all campus grounds) on smoking. Penn State Students for Tobacco Awareness (PSSTA), a student-led group, and the Office of Health Promotion and Education (OHPE) at University Health Services are advocates of smoke-free public spaces. PSSTA is launching a statewide advocacy campaign to communicate with Pennsylvania legislators about the importance of passing comprehensive clean indoor air legislation. To learn more about the campaign, visit http://www.smokefree.psu.edu online. OHPE requested the Pulse smoking survey and provides year-round resources and programming for smoking cessation and education. For additional information about smoke-free efforts at Penn State, contact Linda LaSalle, OHPE health educator, at 863-0461. Additional information about Pulse surveys can be found at http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/pulse.shtml or by contacting Andrea Dowhower at (814) 863-1809.