Second-year graduate student Maggie Taylor hasn’t had a cigarette in 98 days. She had been smoking for nearly 10 years, going through about a pack daily. But with the help of the George Washington University’s Smoke-Free Policy and the university-sponsored Quit for Life cessation program, Ms. Taylor said she’s saved about $700 and added 40 days to her life.
“The policy is actually what inspired me to quit smoking. I had been thinking about quitting, but when I saw GW was going smoke free, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said.
The Smoke-Free Policy was finalized this week after a two-month transitional period of collecting feedback from the community. The official policy coincides with the Great American Smokeout, which will be held on Thursday. The event encourages smokers to quit for one day and to make a plan to quit for life. Members of the community can volunteer at the Great American Smokeout as part of the Colonial Clean Air Crew and staff tables filled with communication materials, stickers, palm cards and posters, and serve as a resource to answer questions and provide support.
The goal of the Smoke-Free Policy is to make GW’s campus a healthy environment and protect non-smokers from the harm of secondhand smoke. The policy prohibits smoking in university-owned outdoor spaces, as well as public spaces adjacent to all residential, academic, athletic, recreational and administrative support buildings.
Colonials for Clean Air, a student-led group, was formed in 2008 during a community advocacy class taught by Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health Caroline Sparks. The group petitioned for a smoke-free campus and presented research showing the adverse effects of secondhand smoking to President Steven Knapp. In February 2012, the GW Student Association held a vote for a referendum that would ban smoking within 25 feet of all university building entrances. The effort was supported by more than two-third of voters. Last November, Dr. Knapp pledged to make the university smoke free.
In addition to making its policy official, the university has also seen an increase in the number of members in the American Cancer Society’s Quit for Life program. The university covers the cost of the program, providing members with nicotine replacement therapy, like gum and patches. The program has increased by about 60 percent since August. Ms. Taylor had tried to stop smoking twice before joining Quit for Life.
“Following the cessation program was the key to my success. I hated feeling like I was addicted to something and that there was a substance that had more control than I did. I’ve been able to reclaim control,” Ms. Taylor said.
She also explained that GW’s policy created an inconvenience factor that made her want to quit.
“You’re not going to be able to smoke when you’re doing research at Gelman; you can’t run outside between lectures for a smoke break,” she said. “I took that inconvenience and instead of accommodating my smoking habits, I turned it into a convenience by quitting.”
Omar Christie and Leondre Edwards, members of the Facilities Services grounds maintenance team, said they have noticed a change in campus cleanliness since the Smoke-Free Policy was implemented. Mr. Christie explained that the team also converted ashtrays into planters, which has made GW look more inviting and welcoming.
“Overall, the number of cigarette butts in my area has drastically downsized and we’ve seen people maintaining the rules,” Mr. Christie said.
Director of Benefits and Wellness Erica Hayton has been overseeing much of the Smoke-Free GW effort. She explained that while the policy has helped the university make great strides, there is still a lot of work to be done.
“Making GW smoke free is a community effort. It won't happen overnight, and it won't happen through a small group of enforcers. We need everyone to help support a smoke-free environment,” Ms. Hayton said.
She added that the Smoke-Free GW website has a number of resources on how to support the policy.
Although making the university smoke free is an ongoing process, efforts have already helped members of the GW community like Ms. Taylor transform their own habits.
“GW really put its money where its mouth is. They didn’t just say, ‘You can’t smoke here.’ They said, ‘You can’t smoke here, but here are all the ways we’re going to help you be smoke free.’ As more places move toward no-smoking, GW is on the right side of history,” she said.