Smoke-free spaces don’t just happen by themselves. Smoke-free spaces—especially campuses—need to be fought for. If you are advocating for a smoke-free campus, you need to be armed with activities that will help promote your cause well. Here are a few of our tried and tested on-site campus activities that you can try out:
Forums
One of the best ways to get the word out about smoke-free living is by talking about it. Book one of the lecture halls of your campus for a forum. Have healthcare professionals sit in the panel. Have them answer questions regarding smoking and its effects. Have them talk about the benefits of living in a smoke-free environment.
Forums are one of the best ways to pique the attention of your fellow students. Just be sure to run the marketing well in order to ensure that people will show up. Be clear about the time, date, and location. Be clear about what the subject of the forum is and what topics will be discussed.
Checkup Drives
If there is anything that college students tend to put off, it’s going to the doctor for a wellness checkup. Understanding the state of one’s health is a great way to open their minds to the idea of changing lifestyles and changing habits. Having a checkup drive in your campus—with special emphasis on the health of the lungs—can really raise awareness regarding the risk that they are putting themselves at by continuing to smoke and living in a smoking environment.
Partner up with organizations that are able to work with campuses about getting checked up. Chances are they will also have printed information regarding the risks associated with smoking.
-Please Note-
Before you go and do any of these activities, it is important that you clear it with your campus authority. It will not do anything good for your cause if you hold an unsanctioned activity in your school. Always pass it through the administration—if at all possible, make them a part of it. This will send a stronger message regarding a smoke-free campus.
Always Remember
It does not matter even if your message is born out of the purest of intentions. It is the approach that you take which will determine if your message will take or not. Being proactive and responsible about the sort of activities you have will help your chances of securing a smoke-free space. If you are advocating for a smoke-free campus environment, we hope that the activities we have shared above will help to better your presentation toward a smoke-free campus.
Which activity have you tried in your campus?
