The American Cancer Society (ACS) and CVS Health today announced the launch of a $3.6-million program —the Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative
The program will provide grants to 125 colleges and universities to help them go smoke- and tobacco-free.
"The American Cancer Society and CVS Health are targeting an important age group at a critical time to improve public health for generations to come," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' former Assistant Secretary for Health and current Harvard School of Public Health Professor Howard Koh said. "It is a great example of how public-private partnerships can aggressively move one step closer to a tobacco-free generation."
CVS Health Foundation will fund the ACS grants, which will help implement cessation, education and support for tobacco-free campuses. The nationwide effort will begin with 25 grants in the first year, and 50 in the second and third years. The initiative is part of CVS Health's "Be the First" $50 million campaign to end tobacco use. CVS Health ended tobacco sales in its stores in 2014.
By reducing youth smoking rates, CVS and the ACS plan to knock tobacco use from the top spot in preventable deaths in the U.S. The 2012 U.S. Surgeon General's report showed that approximately 90 percent of smokers start smoking by college age and 99 percent by age 26.
"Creating a tobacco-free generation is a lofty goal, and reaching it requires a broad spectrum of strategies targeting multiple audiences," ACS Center for Tobacco Control VP Cliff Douglas said. "To be successful, it is imperative to prevent and stop smoking among college students."
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