HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Virginia Higher Education Tobacco Policy Dashboard was launched to encourage colleges to strengthen policies on tobacco use.

Kyle Girone, tobacco control program epidemiologist and evaluator for the Virginia Department of Health, said the goal of the Tobacco Control Program is to reduce premature death, disease, disability and the economic burden related to tobacco use, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke.

“One of the ways TCP tries to achieve these goals is through tobacco and smoke-free policies, especially in shared public spaces,” Girone said.

In April 2024, 49 colleges and universities received report cards and received a letter grade for their tobacco policies.

“This is the first year we’re showing these report cards,” Girone said. “It’s been in the works for a while, but this is the first year.”

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater College received a “D” on its tobacco policy, which prohibits tobacco use in all campus buildings and within 25 feet of a building.

“We care deeply about the health and well-being of students,” said Leslie Frere, vice president for student life and dean of students. “It’s one of our deepest priorities, and we’ve dedicated a tremendous amount of resources to this, and so we feel confident in the resources we’ve provided to our students and our employees for their well-being.”

Frere said the college reviews its policy every year to make sure it prioritizes student well-being.

Mary Baldwin University

Mary Baldwin University also received a “D” on its report card. Mary Baldwin policy does not allow tobacco products in campus buildings and university-owned vehicles.

Christine Flory, director of wellness initiatives, said MBU is working to change and improve its policy on tobacco use. She also said the policy is not very specific.

MBU’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences has been tobacco and vape-free since it opened in 2014. Flory said the university received a grant of just under $15,000 to help it become tobacco-free by January 2023.

MBU hopes to have its new policy in place by June 2025.

Eastern Mennonite University

Eastern Mennonite University received an “F” on its report card.

Wayne Martin, director of campus safety, said EMU is a tobacco-free campus. EMU reviews its policy every summer before the start of the academic year.

“What we had focused on primarily was students, faculty — making sure everyone knew that policy, but it was all on the private network that only faculty, staff and students have access to,” Martin said. “It was not as easily accessible to the public on our public website.”

Martin said EMU hopes to update the policy on its public website by fall.

“It will be very clear and will include everything (like) cigarettes, marijuana and vaping of any kind,” Martin said. “We’re kind of going to check off the boxes that led to the lower rating because we weren’t specific in the policy descriptions.”

There will be signs outside EMU’s buildings informing the public that it is a smoke-free campus.

The Virginia Higher Education Tobacco Policy Dashboard will be updated annually.

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