A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health (Wechsler et al, 2001) surveyed 393 health center directors from 4-year higher education institutions. Eighty-five per cent of the directors believed that smoking among college students was a serious problem. Only 27% of the colleges, however, ban smoking in all indoor facilities and more than 40% of these colleges do not offer smoking cessation programs for students. Recommendations from this study included providing smoking cessation and prevention programs as well as establishing and enforcing campus-wide no smoking policies.
 
Recognizing that tobacco companies have shifted their marketing strategies to target the 18-24 year old college student, numerous individual universities across the nation have initiated and reported on smoking cessation programs provided on college campuses. No information, however, was found that described a state wide initiative against smoking. Rising to the challenge, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, through Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center, initiated in March of 2003 a statewide, student led anti-tobacco campaign. The Pennsylvania Smoking Cessation and Prevention Campaign (PSCPC) targets smokers and non-smokers on post secondary campuses throughout the Commonwealth. The first phase of this campaign was launched in April of 2003 on the 13 university campuses of the State System of Higher Education and the University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford campus. The State System faculty and administration, student health services, university student government and the PA DOH support this campaign.
 
 In May of 2003, eighty-four students representing fourteen Pennsylvania universities gathered at Clarion University to participate in the first Tobacco Summit for the PSCPC. Approximately twenty-five adult facilitators from the universities also attended the Tobacco Summit. Over a five-day period, participants attended workshops designed to provide them with information regarding the Masters Settlement Agreement, cessation, prevention, policy change, and leadership skills. On the last day of the Summit, students developed the vision and priority statements that will be used to guide the 2003-2004 action plans for each individual campus. Student participants also elected the first Executive Board of PSCPC. The Executive Board members will serve for one year as the campus leader for their campaign.

During the 2003-2004 school year, the PSCPC members held a naming and logo contest to decide the new campaign name. Students voted overwhelmingly to become known as PA-SWAT, Pennsylvania Students Working Against Tobacco. Millersville University's own Heather Lapera of submitted the winning logo design. 

For more information on how your university might participate in PA-SWAT, please feel free to contact us: 

Project Director: Nancy Favlo PhD
Email: Todd Spaulding - Young Adult Prevention Coordinator tspaulding@clarion.edu
or call us at 814-227-1901