Columbia Health is excited to have received a grant from the Truth Initiative® - the national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all young people reject smoking, vaping and nicotine. Columbia University is one of ten colleges and universities to receive this grant as part of a national movement among students, faculty, and administrators to address smoking, vaping and nicotine use at college campuses throughout the U.S.
With this grant, we’re launching the Nicotine Awareness and Help (NAH) initiative, promoting education on the effects of nicotine use and identifying cessation support for community members who want to quit nicotine. We’ll also be forming a taskforce to reassess our campus smoking and nicotine policies.
Developing a policy proposal for a smoke/vape free campus
The Alice! Health Promotion team will be leading this initiative. The work of this initiative will culminate in a proposal to the University Senate to update the policy, which could include Morningside and Manhattanville campuses becoming smoke/vape free. If accepted, this policy would more closely align with other smoke, vape, and nicotine policies, such as those at Barnard College, Teachers College, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
How to engage with the Truth Initiative
Throughout the academic year, Columbia Health will host events and engagement opportunities that allow community members to get involved with the campaign and offer insight on changes to our current smoking policy.
We invite members of the Columbia and local communities to attend our first event, a virtual town hall on Monday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m. This town hall is an opportunity to learn more about the initiative and ask questions to the leaders of the project.
Additionally, we’re surveying students, faculty, and staff about their thoughts the potential changes to our smoking policies. To participate, please click the survey that applies to you:
Stay up to date
We encourage community members to stay in the know about NAH and the Truth Initiative by visiting the NAH webpage or texting COLUMBIA to 88709 (Standard rates may apply). For any questions, please email [email protected].
We look forward to hearing your perspectives on nicotine use on Columbia’s campus!