Albertus Magnus College Receives Grant to Develop Smoke, Tobacco, & Vape Free Campus Policy

New Haven, Conn, January 21, 2022 –  Albertus Magnus College received a $5,000 grant from the Connecticut State Department of Public Health and the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University.  This funding will support the development of a Smoke, Tobacco, and Vape Free Campus policy.

When students return to campus for the Spring Semester on January 24, 2022, Albertus will officially join the more than 2,500 colleges and universities across the country that have become tobacco-free campuses.  Specifically in Connecticut, we will be joining SCSU, Yale, Sacred Heart University, Quinnipiac University, University of St. Joseph’s, Wesleyan, and six others that already have a comprehensive policy.

Smoke, tobacco, and vape-free policies have become increasingly common on campuses across the country for a good reason.  There is a growing body of medical evidence that all tobacco and nicotine products pose serious health risks, including secondhand smoke/aerosol exposure.  Manufacturers of tobacco and nicotine products have long targeted specific populations, and recently with the expansion of vaping, they’ve turned to target our young people.  With fruity flavors and very high concentrations of nicotine, experts say it’s pretty easy to become quickly addicted to these harmful products.  The data shows that when higher education institutions implement tobacco-free policies, it facilitates social norm changes, helps prevent students from starting, promotes quitting, and eliminates secondhand smoke/aerosol exposure.

This policy has the utmost support of Albertus President Dr. Marc M. Camille and reflects the College’s commitment, as outlined in the Strategic Plan 2025, to be “a good neighbor to the larger community” and ensure “a safe and secure environment on campus that speaks to the College’s commitment to foster an environment that supports the well-being of members of the College community and guests.”

Over the past two years, the College has expanded campus resources for all students, staff, and faculty interested in taking steps toward cutting down or quitting.  Dr. Courtney Mattiace, Psy.D., Director of Health & Wellness, and Elena Tamayo Heitz, RN, are credentialed as Tobacco Treatment Specialists.  They will be providing free, confidential coaching, free “quit kits,” and free nicotine replacement therapy for the entire campus community.

The College’s Smoke, Tobacco, and Vape Free Campus Policy – as well as information about on and off-campus resources – can be found at https://www.albertus.edu/freshair.