New Tobacco-Free Campus Guide from the NSRA

The Non-Smokers' Rights Association (NSRA) has recently developed a Tobacco-Free Campus Guide. The aim of this guide is to help students, faculty, and staff increase support for the creation or improvement of tobacco-free measures at post-secondary institutions.

Using a selection of the best examples from colleges and universities in Canada and elsewhere, the guide outlines how to develop, implement, and support a comprehensive tobacco-free campus, including:

• Protection from second-hand smoke and a ban on the use of all forms of tobacco except within designated smoking areas (DSAs), and if feasible, everywhere on campus;
• An end to all forms of tobacco sales and promotion on campus;
• An ethically and socially responsible mandatory standard or core principle that ensures that the institution, its staff, and students are not financially or materially associated through the institution with the tobacco industry.

A copy of the report can be found here.

Tobacco researcher leaves University of Alberta

Dr. Phillips, a researcher on smokeless tobacco at the University of Alberta, has left the institution.

An example of Dr. Phillips' research on smokeless tobacco and its purported lack of risks is attached.

You can read more about his departure here.

Tobacco industry denormalization resources

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada prepared a great report entitled Curing the addiction to profits. Check it out for more information about tobacco control and how to denormalize the tobacco industry.

Guides for a tobacco-free campus

Here are some resources for those interested in advocating tobacco divestment at their post-secondary institute. For information about beginning tobacco divestment advocacy work in your country, check out our list of universities and their policies on funding from the tobacco industry.

Australia
Action on Smoking and Health Australia
University of Sydney

Austria
Medical University of Vienna
Medical University of Innsbruck
Medical University of Graz

Canada
University of Toronto

United States
University of Michigan

Canada's First School of Public Health in Bed with Tobacco Industry

Canada News Wire Press Release

Health groups pushing for American universities to go tobacco-free

The American College Health Association released new guidelines on Monday urging colleges and universities to adopt policies barring all tobacco use indoors and outdoors on their campuses.

To learn more about these recommendations, click here.

Tobacco industry funding at the University of Alberta (Canada's Tobacco U)

For the past two years, E-BUTT has conducted extensive research on the financial relationship between the tobacco industry and the University of Alberta. By filing dozens of Freedom of Information Requests (FOIP), E-BUTT, obtained hundreds of pages of information outlining tobacco industry consultants in the Faculty of Medicine, tobacco industry donations and scholarship programs, university tobacco industry holdings, and faculty members conducting research for the tobacco industry.

The University of Alberta Information and Privacy Office (IPO) did not release information pertaining to several requests which asked the university to divulge any potential relationships between influential university faculty and/or administrators and the tobacco industry. Instead, the university IPO requested E-BUTT pay them over $3500 so they could initiate a search of the documents. The fee provided E-BUTT with no guarantee they would be provided with any information if it was found.

Please note the names of the U of A faculty and administrators mentioned in the FOIP requests does not imply they have ever had any involvement with the tobacco industry, either financially or otherwise. Their names were included as persons of interest, some of whom were known to have taken tobacco industry funding, and others who were in departmental or faculty positions that would have provided them with an intimate knowledge of any potential tobacco industry funding if it did exist.

Chronology of events at University of Alberta

E-BUTT's University of Alberta FOIP report

Destroyed documents link tobacco use to detrimental effects on health

According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, it was determined that "sensitive documents" destroyed by Imperial Tobacco Canada actually contained scientific evidence of the carcinogenicity, toxicity, and biological activity of cigarettes and second-hand smoke, as well as the addictive properties of nicotine. The documents were ordered destroyed by the parent of Imperial Tobacco Canada in 1992. However, copies remained at British American Tobacco, which were then released as part of a court disclosure.

Here is a link to the full article.

The destruction of these "sensitive documents" by Imperial Tobacco Canada is yet another example of misrepresentation of scientific research linking tobacco usage to detrimental health. The lack of both accountability and transparency of Big Tobacco in disclosing the truly dangerous nature of their products is a serious cause for concern not only among health care professionals, but also for discerning members of the public who value truth and integrity.

Institutional addiction to tobacco

I just read an interesting article about how the tobacco industry can enter institutions via well-positioned people (see the citation below).

• Robert Prichard: former president and former Dean of Law at the University of Toronto. During his time as president, he was concurrently a director of Imasco (the holding company of Imperial Tobacco).
• Robert Parker: member of the Board of the Foundation of Women's College Hospital (a fully-affiliated teaching hospital of the University of Toronto). He is also president and chief spokesperson for the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council.
• Brian Levitt: appointed to the University of Toronto's fundraising campaign cabinet in 1997. He was also president and chief executive officer of Imasco.

While it may not be surprising, this information is certainly disturbing. One can only imagine what the implications of these practices are.

Source: Cohen JE, Ashley MJ, Ferrence R, Brewster JM, Goldstein AO (1999) Institutional addiction to tobacco. Tobacco Control 8:70-74

100% tobacco-free!

It is with elation and a sense of closure that we report the divestment of the University of Toronto from its remaining Rothmans Inc. stocks. To our knowledge, this makes the University of Toronto the first Canadian university to divest from tobacco companies. Hopefully, other post-secondary institutions across the nation will follow their lead towards ethical investing.

Read more about E-BUTT's role in the University of Toronto's decision to divest in this article.