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Ad Campaign Urges New York Schools to Enforce Tobacco-Free Policies 

The New York State Tobacco-Free School Policy Partnership today unveiled its "We're Watching" ad campaign promoting strong enforcement of comprehensive tobacco-free policies by secondary schools and school districts throughout New York State. The multi-media ad campaign specifically calls upon principals, assistant principals and superintendents to "send the right message" to students, many of whom report seeing smoking on school grounds despite existing policies prohibiting tobacco use.

"When students see tobacco use at school, they get the message that tobacco use is a normal, socially acceptable behavior," said Kari Shanahan, Tobacco Policy Coordinator for Mid-State Student Support Services in Syracuse. "The more effective we are at creating truly tobacco-free environments for young people, the better they are able to resist pressure to use tobacco." Most schools in New York State have some kind of no-smoking policy, according to Shanahan, but some policies are weak and administrators often don't prioritize enforcement.

A 2006 survey by the New York State Department of Health found that two-thirds of high school students report seeing other students smoking on school grounds in the previous month and 40% report seeing adults smoking at school. Federal health officials recommend implementation of comprehensive tobacco-free school policies as a top strategy for reducing adolescent tobacco use.

"Ninety percent of smokers start before the age of 18," points out Shanahan. "When school administrators take a strong stand against tobacco use, it has a real impact on students at a time when they're most likely to acquire what could be a lifelong addiction." Research has found that schools which enforce strong tobacco-free policies have lower student smoking rates, less absenteeism, and higher academic achievement.

The "We're Watching" campaign ads will be featured in professional education publications such as The School Administrator, EdWeek and Principal Leadership, as well as on education websites and through direct mail materials reaching over 8,000 principals, assistant principals and superintendents across New York State.

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