Some of the measures that experience confirmed to be efficient in lowering smoking is the established order of puts the place smoking and vaping are prohibited. That is the case with tobacco-free college campuses. Even though their effectiveness has been demonstrated the world over, they’re nonetheless underdeveloped in France. At the instance of the month with out tobacco, we take inventory.
In keeping with French public well being knowledge, in 2024, 25% of French other people elderly 18 to 75 reported smoking on occasion or ceaselessly, together with 18.2% day-to-day. Some of the youngest, 18% of 18- to 29-year-olds are day-to-day people who smoke (in comparison to 29% in 2021).
Even though tobacco intake has been considerably diminished in our nation since 2016, those figures are nonetheless upper than the ones recorded in different industrialized nations, similar to Nice Britain, Canada or america (lower than 10% to fifteen% smoking occurrence), and even in New Zealand which presentations simplest 6.8% of day-to-day people who smoke amongst adults within the length 2024-2025.
Tobacco: well being, environmental and financial penalties
This nonetheless prime stage of smoking has vital well being, environmental and financial penalties in France. It’s in truth answerable for round 75,000 deaths consistent with 12 months, or 13% of all deaths, and is connected to a 3rd of most cancers circumstances, making it the main preventable explanation for demise in France.
Moreover, cigarette butts, composed of microplastics and poisonous ingredients, give a contribution to soil and water air pollution, affecting air high quality and the meals chain.
In any case, the yearly social price of tobacco is estimated at 156 billion euros, which represents an important burden on society.
For tobacco-free puts, together with college campuses
To battle smoking, the Framework Conference on Tobacco Regulate (FCTC), proposed via the Global Well being Group (WHO) in 2003, recommends more than a few persuasive measures to scale back occurrence: a pointy and steady build up in tobacco costs, smoking cessation help simply out there to people who smoke, a ban at the sale of tobacco to minors, media campaigns, the advance of camps for tobacco-free impartial packaging. well being colleges proposed within the Nationwide Tobacco Regulate Program (PNLT 2023-2027).
The latter are characterised via a whole ban on smoking and vaping all over of upper schooling (indoors and out of doors). Those are adopted via on-site smoking cessation improve introduced to customers, common verbal exchange campaigns, ambassadors touring across the tobacco-free campus to lend a hand put in force this and offering data on smoking cessation improve to be had, tension control workshops and gadget reviews.
In France, the advance of tobacco-free campuses stays very restricted in comparison to america, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the place maximum, if no longer all, puts of upper schooling are tobacco-free and smoke-free.
On the other hand, a 2024 survey via the Nationwide Observatory for Pupil Lifestyles discovered that amongst scholars who replied to a questionnaire, 16% smoked, together with 6% day-to-day. So, if tobacco-free campuses have been to be extra extensively evolved in France, it would lend a hand cut back smoking amongst scholars attending upper schooling.
The sure affect of a tobacco-free campus
Certainly, a lot of research performed at the results of tobacco-free campuses expose a number of sure affects.
For people who smoke: those areas inspire scholars and body of workers to scale back or prevent smoking whilst encouraging using smoking cessation aids to be had on website. In addition they restrict smoking initiation and build up makes an attempt to give up.
For the group: Tobacco-free campuses are neatly won, together with via people who smoke. They lend a hand denormalize smoking, toughen wisdom in regards to the dangers related to tobacco, and cut back ideals favorable to its use.
For the surroundings: those units are just right for the surroundings as a result of they toughen smoke-related air pollution, cut back publicity to second-hand smoke (on the front to structures) and cut back the price of cleansing rooms in upper schooling. They’re additionally a part of the sustainable building means for universities.
For society: via lowering the visibility of tobacco, upper schooling establishments grow to be position fashions in relation to well being promotion, thus serving to to switch the picture of this product.
Restricted tasks in French upper schooling
To our wisdom, the Faculty of Complex Research in Public Well being (EHESP) was once the primary position of upper schooling in France to arrange a tobacco-free campus on 31 Might 2018. Since then, about twenty had been introduced, particularly the colleges of medication/well being campuses (Renns, Reims, LilleuFk, Brest, C. Bordea-Bordea, others) deans have proven themselves to be motivated via initiative.
Brand of the Tobacco Loose Campus Reinforce Program introduced via EHESP.
Along with the targets described above, EHESP has additionally evolved its tobacco-free campus to boost consciousness and inspire the longer term managers of well being and medico-social establishments skilled via the varsity to determine tobacco-free hospitals and nursing houses of their long run puts {of professional} follow.
Opinions of EHESP’s tobacco-free campus display that this is a gadget that works and is definitely won via scholars. Thus, a survey performed between 2018 and 2025 each and every instructional 12 months (n = 2,532 scholars, a reaction charge of virtually 57%) presentations that its acceptability could be very robust: 96.7% of scholars are in want, together with 91.4% of people who smoke (-article these days submitted- Okay. Gallopel.-Gallopel.-G.Morvan, J. Holon, N. Sirven, “Breaking ground in tobacco control: Reactions students to France’s first smoke-free campus”, BMC Public Well being).
Causes for this improve of studying customers are the alignment of the tobacco-free campus with the missions of the varsity of public well being, coverage from tobacco smoke, and encouragement of smoking cessation. It’s attention-grabbing to indicate that this improve larger considerably between 2018 and 2025, no doubt because of the decline in intake, particularly amongst younger other people, and the denormalization of tobacco in our society.
Proof-based sensible equipment to improve post-baccalaureate establishments
Drawing on its enjoy in tobacco-free campuses, EHESP has introduced more than a few tasks to lend a hand lead them to identified and deployed in France:
The nationwide program PRODEVCAMPUS (“Promotion and development of tobacco-free university campuses in France”) gives from 2023 improve to different puts of upper schooling on this means.
Thru a devoted website online (campus-sans-tabac.ehesp.fr), the varsity supplies sensible equipment (trademarks, posters, brochures) and coaching to facilitate the transition to tobacco-free campuses.
Those sources are in keeping with medical knowledge, Global Well being Group suggestions and EHESP experience. The website gives a turnkey method, enabling post-baccalaureate establishments to achieve efficiencies and foster a collective dynamic between colleges. It’s also meant for somebody all in favour of public well being who desires to give a contribution to more fit, cleaner campuses aligned with the Nationwide Tobacco Regulate Program 2023-2027.
The signing of an settlement in 2025 with the Convention of Grandes Ecoles and France Universites to ask their participants to determine tobacco-free campuses.
Supervised two PhDs in this subject to make the gadget research-based, main to 2 theses: that of Diane Geignau on “The role of opinion leaders in the denormalization of tobacco in France: application to tobacco-free campuses and tax increases” (INCA investment) and Etienne Gnonfonlain’s thesis, whose protection “2025 campus policies: analysis of their effects and underlying processes affecting users’ knowledge, attitudes and behavior regarding smoking” (Nationwide Most cancers League investment).
The PRODEVCAMPUS examine program (Promotion and building of tobacco-free campuses in France) is funded via the Nationwide Most cancers Institute (INCa/16312), the Nationwide Most cancers League, the ARS Bretagne and the Fund towards Habit.
