Our smokefree campus begins today
We’ve taken our first step to become smokefree by 2025 by asking staff, students and visitors not to smoke on campus between 8am and 6pm.
The University is committed to the health and wellbeing of our staff, students and visitors, and as a research institution that also trains healthcare professionals, we are particularly aware that smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths in England.
Our vision is to create a ‘new normal’ on campus – a smokefree culture where people work, study, research and relax in an environment free from tobacco smoke and where smoking is seen as unusual. We have a unique opportunity to act as role models to young people and inspire a future smokefree generation; if a young person does not take up smoking by the age of 26 they probably never will.
Our smokefree campus
From now on, we’re asking everyone not to smoke on campus on any day, between 8am and 6pm. This includes cigarettes, pipes, cigars, tobacco products (including chewing tobacco) and any device or substance that may be used for the purpose of smoking.
We are currently sympathetic to people vaping outside on campus, as it is recognised by Public Health England as an aid to quit smoking.
Smoking or vaping inside University buildings including entrances and covered walkways, or in vehicles when used for University business, is still prohibited.
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 and the inner ring road, including Leeds University Union)
- western campus (Leeds University Business School – LUBS)
- Fairbairn House
- all University-owned and managed residences
- all University-owned sports grounds (e.g. Sports Park Weetwood and Bodington Playing Fields).
Why we’re going smokefree
Watch this short video and hear from Professor Paul Stewart, Executive Dean of Medicine and Health; Lauren Huxley, Union Affairs Officer from LUU and Professor Tom Ward, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Student Education about why we’re going smokefree.
Find out more
- Smoking policy, smokefree campus map and FAQs – visit the HR website and access the updated smoking policy, a map of the smokefree areas and answers to many of the questions staff and students raised when the updated smoking policy was first published in March 2019.
- Free quit smoking sessions – 15-minute, one-to-one sessions for staff and students are available on campus if you would like to stop smoking.
- Extra resources – you can download posters, email signatures, leaflets and sample text for your documents to support our smokefree vision.
- Short briefing sessions will soon be available along with information cards to give to people who may not be aware of the our move to become a smokefree campus.
If you have any concerns about being able to support the move to become a smokefree campus, please discuss this with your line manager. Please contact the smokefree team on smokefree@leeds.ac.uk if you have any other feedback or comments about the impact of the move.
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