Tobacco-free policy reduces combustible tobacco byproduct on a large university campus
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2023
Abstract
Policy drives community-level behavior change, so behavior analysts should aid empirical policy development. University campus regulation is a useful proxy for broader policy initiatives and thus is a convenient inroad for behavior analyst involvement. This paper examines behavior analytic contributions to the planning and evaluation of a university tobacco-free initiative. We provided resources and guidance throughout early planning, and we then evaluated faculty and student compliance via byproduct (e.g., cigarette butts) counts taken at four high-traffic sites (as flagged by preliminary surveying of campus faculty, staff, and students). Visual analysis and supplementary statistical testing support notions of (a) a meaningful and sustained reduction of combustible tobacco byproducts in all locations, and (b) a demonstrative example of behavior analytic involvement with university policy planning and evaluation.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Journal of applied behavior analysis
First Page
86
Last Page
97
Recommended Citation
Gelino, B. W., Salzer, A. R., Harsin, J. D., Naudé, G. P., Gilroy, S. P., & Reed, D. D. (2023). Tobacco-free policy reduces combustible tobacco byproduct on a large university campus. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 56 (1), 86-97. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.967