| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 19
| Issue : 1 | Page : 53-59 |
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Young Peoples' support for a smoke-free campus policy: A case for smoke-free campuses in the statewide smoking law in Lagos State, Nigeria
Yetunde Morenike Atiba1, Tope Olubodun2, Oluwakemi Ololade Odukoya3
1 Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
2 Department of Community Health and Primary Care, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
3 Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos; Department of Community Health and Primary Care; Non-Communicable Disease Research Group, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Tope Olubodun
Department of Community Health and Primary Care, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos
Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_27_19
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Background: Smoke-free policies are increasingly being enacted in several countries. In 2014, Lagos State, the commercial capital of Nigeria, enacted a statewide smoke-free policy; however, university campuses were excluded from the list of public places where smoking would be disallowed. This study aimed to assess students' support for smoke-free campus policies, their attitudes, and exposure toward secondhand smoke (SHS). Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 421 university undergraduates in two premier universities in the state. Respondents were selected using a multistage sampling method, and the data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. Results: Many (55.4%) of the respondents agreed that students who are non-smokers have the right to inhale smoke-free air on campuses and expressed feelings of irritation (57.1%) or anger (17.1%) when exposed to SHS on campus. Majority (80.1%) of the respondents were in support of a smoke-free policy on their campus and in favor of a ban on smoking in enclosed spaces on campus (79.6%). Exposure to SHS on campus was high, as one in five respondents were exposed to SHS in their hostel rooms (19.9%) and 44.9% were exposed in outdoor campus spaces in the preceding week. There was a statistically significant association between respondents' age, gender, smoking status, and attitudes toward SHS and support for a smoke-free campus policy. Conclusion: Although the majority of the students were non-smokers, significant exposure to SHS on campuses still exists. There is a huge support for smoke-free campus policies. The state government should consider including campuses on the list of smoke-free public spaces in the review of the statewide smoking law.
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