RESTRICTING SMOKING AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-KOLN, GERMANY - A CASE-STUDY

The effects of a new policy limiting smoking to separate, designated a reas in School of Education buildings at the University of Koln, Germa ny, were analyzed. Although the majority (77%) of the 1,223 students s urveyed did not expect the changed policy to affect their smoking habi ts, approximately 28% of the men and 30% of the women said they were s moking less at the university after the change went into effect. Ninet y-one percent of the nonsmoking students and 68% of the smokers suppor ted the new policy. Smoking rates among Koln students are not signific antly different from those of the adult German population, where 34% o f the women and 41% of the men are smokers. The findings in this study indicate that such a policy change may result in a net decrease in am ount smoked and could be a successful intervention in countries where smoking rates are traditionally higher than they are in the United Sta tes.