Grants Awarded to Colleges to Help Create Tobacco-Free Campuses

By Elana Goodwin on November 16, 2016

Twenty U.S. colleges and universities received grants from the American Cancer Society and the CVS Health Foundation as part of their Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative (TFGCI), according to a recent press release.

The TFGCI is a $3.6 million multi-year program geared toward increasing and expanding the acceptance and execution of 100 percent smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“We’re at a critical moment in our nation’s efforts to end the epidemic of smoking and tobacco use, and expanding the number of tobacco-free college and university campuses is an important step in our efforts,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Health.

“We’re confident our strategy will drive a significant decline in the number of new college-age smokers, and contribute to the progress being made where a tobacco-free generation in the U.S. seems possible.”

TFGCI is part of CVS Health’s five-year, $50 million program Be The First, which supports education, advocacy, tobacco control, and healthy behavior in order to attain the country’s first tobacco-free generation. With Be The First, CVS Health has set the goal of doubling the number of tobacco-free colleges and universities in the U.S.

TFGCI will award grants to 125 U.S. colleges and universities total over the next three years, targeting those especially in need of stronger tobacco prevention and control. Using those grants, the schools will be able to advocate, plan, and implement 100 percent smoke- and tobacco-free policies across their campuses, and can also request technical assistance and resources to help with education, communication, evaluation and more..

“With our partners at CVS Health, we are excited to support the efforts of many dedicated students, faculty and staff to make their campuses smoke- and tobacco-free using proven strategies that will also reduce tobacco use among students,” said Gary M. Reedy, Chief Executive Officer for the American Cancer Society.

“To be successful in creating a tobacco-free generation, it is important that we prevent and eliminate lethal and addictive tobacco use among college students.”

The University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, is to be one of the first 20 grant recipients, and is aiming to become the first Ivy with a 100 percent tobacco-free campus policy.

“We are grateful to be among the recipients of the American Cancer Society/CVS Health Foundation tobacco control grant as it recognizes and supports Penn’s commitment to a tobacco-free campus,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann.

“Under the leadership of Penn pulmonologist Frank Leone, we have developed an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to smoking cessation that has yielded unprecedented success in just two years … This generous grant will greatly aid the University’s ongoing efforts to effectively address this major public health epidemic.”

Other grant recipients include: Bowling Green State University (Ohio), California State University San Marcos, Davenport University (Mich.), East Carolina University (N.C.), El Paso Community College (Texas), Indiana University – Bloomington, Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.), Merritt College (Calif.), Montclair State University (N.J.), Oakland University (Mich.), Penn State University (Pa.), Piedmont Community College (N.C.), Saint Mary’s College of California, Springfield College (Mass.), St. Xavier University (Ill.), Texas Christian University, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College (Ohio) and University of Michigan.

In partnership with the CVS Health Foundation, the American Cancer Society will accept online applications for the next round of Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative (TFGCI) grants, with the fall grant cycle running through February 28, 2017. The names of grant recipients will be announced in May 2017.

To learn more about the Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative (TFGCI), U.S. colleges and universities are encouraged to visit www.CVSHealth.com/tobaccofreecampus. To apply for a TFGCI grant, visit www.cancer.org/tfgci.

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