Change is in the air
To mark No Smoking day (13 March), we’re setting out our vision for a smokefree campus from 1 August.
Evidence shows that if young people haven’t started using tobacco by the age of 26, they almost certainly never will. We want to inspire people - and in particular current and future generations of students - not to smoke. To help us with this, and take our first step towards a smokefree campus, we have updated our smoking policy and we’re asking staff, students, contractors and visitors not to smoke on campus between 8am and 6pm.
What we’re doing
From 1 August, every day between the hours of 8am and 6pm, we’re asking everyone not to smoke on campus, this includes: cigarettes, pipes, cigars, tobacco products (including chewing tobacco), and any device or substance that may be used for the purpose of smoking.
The University is currently sympathetic to people vaping on campus as it is recognised by Public Health England as an aid to quit smoking.
Our smokefree campus covers all outdoor space and grounds, including:
- Main campus (all space within the boundaries of Woodhouse Lane, Clarendon Road, Mount Preston Street, Leeds General Infirmary – LGI - and the inner ring road, including Leeds University Union)
- Western Campus (Leeds University Business School – LUBS grounds)
- Fairbairn House
- All University-owned and managed residences
- All University-owned sports grounds (e.g. Sports Park Weetwood, Bodington Playing Fields).
The revised policy is aligned to the aims of Leeds City Council, the NHS, Public Health England and the national Breathe 2025 initiative, and it aims to:
- protect staff, students and visitors from the harmful effects of smoking behaviour
- promote a safe and healthy smokefree environment for staff, students, contractors and visitors,
- provide help and support to those who want to quit smoking
- ensure that the University complies with legislation.
Download the new smoking policy and read the supporting information on the HR website.
If you want to stop smoking
Free support, on campus, is available to all staff and students who would like to quit smoking. For more information see the Quit Smoking webpages or email smokefree@leeds.ac.uk
Have your say
If you would like to share your thoughts on how we can support you to implement the policy, please complete this short survey* or email smokefree@leeds.ac.uk by 5 April 2019.
*The survey has now closed, feedback given will be used to produce FAQs which will be published in May 2019 to support the implementation of the updated Smoking Policy.
Posted in: University news