Tobacco Policy in Schools
Summary
This team of students partnered with the American Heart Association Department of Health Strategies to help develop recommendations for schools to use in developing tobacco policies. The team researched current school policies throughout Michigan and the U.S. to identify best practices of reducing tobacco usage among student populations. The students were encouraged to identify policies that use a lesser or non-punitive approach in terms of punishing offenders within a student body. In addition, the team used their findings to craft policy recommendations for revising current policies.
Through qualitative interviews the team determined that policy interventions comprised of digital curriculum and/or mobile applications may be the most feasible given the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing this nascent problem will ultimately help improve the mental health and educational outcomes of students.