Tobacco-free schools in Minnesota.

Since 1985, Minnesota schools have participated in an intensive, statewide effort to reduce tobacco use among adolescents through a variety of prevention efforts. This article describes the "Tobacco-Free Schools" project, one component of the effort that encourages school districts to adopt policies which prohibit tobacco use for students, staff, and visitors. Tobacco-free policies contribute to comfortable, healthy working and learning environments for students and staff. In addition, tobacco use prevention education is more likely to be effective when health education programs, adult models, and school policies offer the consistent message that tobacco use is unhealthy and unacceptable. From January 1987 to January 1988, the percentage of tobacco-free school districts in Minnesota increased from 3% to 43%, demonstrating that tobacco-free policies can have mass appeal to local schools and communities.