Murphy wants Conn. colleges to go tobacco-free

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is urging college presidents across Connecticut to adopt tobacco-free policies at their campuses.

The Democrat sent a letter Wednesday, suggesting they join the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Tobacco-Free College Initiative, which promotes tobacco-free policies at higher learning institutions across the country.

Gateway Community College in New Haven recently announced it would become a smoke-free campus.

In his letter, Murphy said the HHS initiative, launched in September 2012, has resources for colleges and universities on ways to implement a smoke-free or tobacco-free campus. Citing statistics from the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, Murphy said nationally there are nearly 1,200 smoke-free campuses, of which 811 were tobacco-free.

Murphy said colleges can help reduce smoking since approximately one-third of young adults between ages 18 to 24 smoke.