The Effect of U.S. College Campuses’ Smoke and Tobacco Policies on Student Vaping and Smoking Behavior: A Systematic Review Protocol |Biomedgrid

Background: Smoking cigarettes remains the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with more than 16 million American adults affected by smoking-related illnesses and around a half-million Americans suffering from a smoking-related death each year. Despite a decline in cigarette use over the past several decades, the introduction of the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) in 2011 to the market accelerated nicotine use by two to four times the pre-ENDS rates, particularly among college students. With the emergence of electronic smoking products, there is a gap in the evidence regarding how effective policies are at restricting smoking and vaping behavior on college campuses. To address this, a systematic review will be conducted to determine how Smoke and Tobacco-free Policies on US college campuses and universities affect student smoking behavior, including ENDS products, including a greater emphasis on the extent Smoke and Tobacco-free policies impacted student ENDS use.