n What Passes for Science in Tobacco Control

A study published in the journal Preventive Medicine in 2011 purported to demonstrate that a tobacco-free campus policy led to a decrease in smoking among students at Indiana University.

(See: Seo D-C, Macy JT, Torabi MR, Middlestadt SE. The effect of a smoke-free campus policy on college students' smoking behaviors and attitudes. Preventive Medicine 2011; 53:347-352.)

The study was a quasi-experiment, using a repeated cross-section design with a comparison group. Indiana University instituted a campus-wide tobacco ban in 2008. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2007 - prior to the ban - and in 2009. Similar surveys were conducted during the same years at Purdue University, which did not institute a campus-wide tobacco ban.

The methods were as follows: "In fall 2007, 84 Indiana University instructors and 67 Purdue University instructors were asked for permission to administer a survey in their classes. Among those contacted, 73 Indiana instructors and 55 Purdue instructors agreed. A total of 3492 students (2057 from Indiana and 1435 from Purdue) were invited to complete a group administered paper-and-pencil survey, and 3266 students (1930 [93.8%] from Indiana and 1336 [93.1%] from Purdue) participated. In fall 2009, 77 out of 87 Indiana instructors and 54 out of 65 Purdue instructors agreed to have the survey administered in their classes. A total of 3455 students (2215 from Indiana and 1240 from Purdue) were invited to participate, and 3207 students (2042 [92.2%] from Indiana and 1165 [94.0%] from Purdue) completed the survey."

The study found that current smoking prevalence at Indiana University dropped from 16.5% to 12.8%, but at Purdue University, it increased from 9.5% to 10.1%. Based on this finding, the study concludes that the tobacco ban led to a decrease in smoking among Indiana University students.