Next wave in tobacco-free college campuses: A student movement to challenge tobacco company recruitment at a public university

Introduction: Tobacco companies are present at many university career centers as contributors and recruiters, misleading students and administrators by touting opportunities to “improve world health” and “help prevent kids from smoking.” Their participation in recruitment activities normalizes them as legitimate, socially responsible businesses, obscures the true nature of their industry, and provides direct access to young adults, their primary marketing target. University of Washington (UW) students, staff, and faculty led a campaign to raise awareness about tobacco companies' harms to public health, and challenge their presence on the UW campus. Methods: University advocates observed and documented tobacco company recruitment activities, investigated congruence with university policies and regulations, engaged student government, and met with decision-makers to educate them and assess barriers to and facilitators of reducing or eliminating tobacco industry presence. Results: Awareness of tobacco companies' influence within the University was increased through student government involvement, social media, articles and letters demonstrating how tobacco industry activities were in conflict with the University's mission and ethical standards. The campaign helped students make informed decisions when considering employment opportunities and extended a ban on advertising of tobacco products in the school newspaper to include tobacco industry recruitment ads. Conclusions: Tobacco industry influence at colleges is widespread yet subtle. While the trend is towards tobacco-free campus policies, the issue of tobacco company recruitment through university career centers has rarely been challenged. This case study can provide guidance to other colleges and universities who wish to reduce the influence of tobacco companies on their campuses.