University of Southern Colorado grant to address
student tobacco issues
Pueblo, Colo. -- A grant from the State Tobacco Education and Prevention
Partnership (STEPP) will help educate University of Southern Colorado students
this fall about the effects of smoking.
A recent University of Colorado survey found that nearly
one-third of Colorado young adults ages 19 - 25 smoke cigarettes. In an effort
to reduce this statistic, USC will join 14 other Colorado colleges and
universities to address tobacco use on campus with support from The BACCHUS and
GAMMA Peer Education Network and the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment.
The Colorado Collegiate Tobacco Prevention Initiative will
provide campuses with training and resources to prevent initiation of tobacco
use, promote cessation of tobacco use, and address secondhand smoke among
college students throughout the state of Colorado.
BACCHUS and GAMMA will provide selected campuses with
resources and materials to conduct tobacco prevention programs. BACCHUS and
GAMMA have worked in collegiate health education for more that a
quarter-century, specifically addressing tobacco with two federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants, and now, a statewide grant in
Colorado.
The Colorado Collegiate Tobacco Prevention Initiative is a
comprehensive, campus-based tobacco prevention and cessation program designed to
create a collegiate tobacco control movement. The program trains student
leaders, conducts campus assessment and evaluation of policies and practices,
and provides educational resources and campaign materials designed for
individual campuses.
The 15 campuses selected for the first year of the program
are Aims Community College, Arapahoe Community College, Colorado State College,
Community College of Denver, Fort Lewis College, Lamar Community College,
Metropolitan State College, Naropa University, Regis University, Trinidad Junior
College, University of Colorado, University of Denver, University of Northern
Colorado, University of Southern Colorado, and Western State College.
Additional campuses will be added during the second and
third years of the initiative to reach the goal of involving 75 percent of
Colorado's institutions of higher education in the project. Information about
tobacco awareness programs at USC may be obtained by contacting Student Health
Services at (719) 549-2830.
The University of Southern Colorado is a regional,
comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented and applied
programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging
in service and outreach, USC is distinguished by access, opportunity and the
overall quality of services provided to its students.
