Health: Mental Health

ACHA Releases New White Paper on Addressing E-cigarette Use and Vaping on College and University Campuses

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SILVER SPRING, Md. (PRWEB)

The American College Health Association (ACHA) announces the release of its newest white paper, Addressing E-cigarette Use and Vaping on College and University Campuses. Written by members of the ACHA Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Coalition, this white paper examines current data on e-cigarette use among adolescents and undergraduate students, which include the risk for dependence and health consequences, the ramifications of targeted e-cigarette marketing to youth, and the importance of tobacco cessation.

The new white paper also outlines multiple strategies on how college and university campuses can play a role in ending the trend of e-cigarette use in campus communities.

These strategies include:


  • Implementing evidence-based prevention and education.

  • Promoting awareness with student health providers and student affairs personnel.

  • Making tobacco treatment accessible and relevant.

  • Promoting tobacco-free campus policies that include e-cigarettes.

“The e-cigarette and vaping epidemic facing our young people is a public health crisis that demands immediate and deliberate action across many levels,” says Michael Huey, MD, Interim Chief Executive Officer of ACHA. “College and university campuses have a unique opportunity to prevent initiation, provide support for treatment and empower this generation of young people to take action to protect their individual and collective health.”

“We do not want to see millions of more adolescents become dependent on e-cigarettes or other tobacco products, especially as they transition to college campuses,” says Delynne Wilcox, PhD, MPH, CHES, chair of the ACHA Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Coalition. “As leaders in college health and wellness, we have both the opportunity and responsibility to protect and support our students through building awareness, providing tobacco cessation resources, and advocating for stronger regulation and comprehensive tobacco-free campus policies.”

The new white paper, Addressing E-cigarette Use and Vaping on College and University Campuses can be downloaded at https://www.acha.org/documents/resources/guidelines/ACHA_Addressing_E-cigarette_Use_and_Vaping_on_Campuses_January2021.pdf.

ACHA would like to thank the authors of the white paper: Jennifer Cofer, MPH, CHES, Director, EndTobacco Program and Cancer Prevention Policy, Cancer Prevention & Control Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Thomas Hall, PhD, Director, Orange County Government Drug-Free Office; Melinda J. Ickes, PhD, Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, College of Education, University of Kentucky; and Delynne Wilcox, PhD, MPH, CHES, Assistant Director, Health Planning & Prevention, Department of Health Promotion & Wellness, Student Health Center & Pharmacy, The University of Alabama.

A complete list of ACHA guidelines, recommendations, and white papers can be found at http://www.acha.org/Guidelines.

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About ACHA

The American College Health Association (ACHA), founded in 1920, is a national nonprofit association serving as the nation’s principal leadership organization for advancing the health of college students and campus communities through advocacy, education, and research. ACHA represents a diverse membership that provides and supports the delivery of health care, prevention, and wellness services for the nation’s 20 million college students. ACHA advocates for student health by integrating the critical role of college health into the mission of higher education. For more information about the association visit http://www.acha.org.

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