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Media Relations

Postcards aid sensitive interactions in Tobacco-Free IUPUI program

IUPUI's tobacco-free campus policy has been in effect for over two months, banning the sale and use of tobacco products on all campus property.

Public health advocates are now charged with the tricky task of spreading the word to tobacco users who may not know the new rules. How do you let someone know that they are violating campus policy when they light up, without causing a major confrontation?

The Tobacco-Free IUPUI team came up with a solution that Assistant Vice Chancellor Ellen Poffenberger calls a "pain-free way to approach the topic" -- printed postcards with information about the policy and community resources for help in quitting smoking.

"It can be hard to find the right words to go up and tell someone who is smoking on campus to put out their cigarette," Poffenberger said. "Not everyone finds it easy to approach people, but most of our faculty and staff are invested in keeping the policy consistent. They are glad to have a tool that can help them spread the message that IUPUI had gone tobacco-free, without feeling like they are offending the smoker."

The cards do the talking with a succinct message and suggestions on getting help kicking the habit. The front of the yellow cards bears the slogan of the campaign: "Tobacco-Free IUPUI: A Healthy Place to Learn, Work and Live."

On the opposite side, the message reads in both English and Spanish: "This is a tobacco-free campus. Please help us maintain a healthy environment for our students, employees and visitors by extinguishing your cigarette. Thank you." Phone numbers for smoking cessation services at IUPUI Health Services, the Marion County Health Department and the Clarian Tobacco Control Center are listed at the bottom of the card.

IUPUI's Marketing and Communications office worked with the Tobacco Free Awareness Sub-committee to design the cards, which they distributed to departments across campus. Employees then disseminate the cards through one-on-one interactions when they witness a violation of the policy.

"The way they are used is by offering someone the card and explaining, 'I didn't know if you were informed about the new campus policy.' Maybe it's a conversation-starter, or that may be the end of the interaction, but either way, most of the time, I have seen people put their cigarettes out," Poffenberger said.

With employees eagerly utilizing the cards -- and some departments, notably Public Health, asking for second helpings -- more than 18,000 cards have been disseminated since the policy came into effect on August 14.

"Of course there will occasionally be a fussy person whp doesn't react well to the request. I have encountered a few. But on the whole the postcards have been an effective way to connect to individuals who may not be aware of the policy. It is not accusatory or confrontational, it's positive and affirmative," Poffenberger said.

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