Five Years of a Smoke-Free Campus: ‘I’ve Been Caught with a Cigarette in Hand’

Five Years of a Smoke-Free Campus: ‘I’ve Been Caught with a Cigarette in Hand’

Smoking on Tilburg University’s campus has been prohibited for five years, yet students and staff still find ways to light up. Smokers have mostly relocated to the campus perimeter. ‘I smoke out of boredom; the smoking ban hasn’t changed that much.’

A student is seen smoking near the parking lot. Image: Univers

It’s now hard to imagine: walking from the Mensa to Academia with a cigarette in hand or taking a quick smoke break between classes. But until August 2019, this was a common sight. That’s when the university introduced a smoking ban, a year before it became a national requirement.

Today, students and staff must smoke off-campus, but they don’t go too far. The crosswalk between the Dante and Simon buildings, which lies on a public road, has become a smoking hotspot. The parking lot near the Warandebos has also gained a reputation as a popular place for smokers.

Are We Smoking Less?

While the campus itself may now be smoke-free, are students and staff actually smoking less? For Virgil, a university staff member, not really. ‘Smoking gives me an excuse to go outside and get some fresh air,’ he says. Ironically, he ends up smoking more at work than he does in his free time.

Ban or not, Master’s student Lucas isn’t deterred from smoking. ‘I don’t smoke to be rebellious, but I’ve definitely been caught with a cigarette in hand on my way to a designated smoking spot.’

Caught! Now What?

What happens if you’re caught smoking on campus? ‘Security takes a photo of your library card twice, and if you’re caught a third time, you have to attend a meeting,’ Lucas explains. So far, he’s had two warnings.

Despite these warnings, Lucas hasn’t cut back on smoking. ‘I often smoke out of boredom when studying. The smoking ban hasn’t really changed that.’

Still, he does see the ban as a positive move. Smoking and secondhand smoke are, after all, unhealthy. Laughing, he adds, ‘But can I tell any difference since the ban? I didn’t even smoke back then.’

Warning or Fine?

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority strictly enforces the ban, with fines for the university reaching up to 4,500 euros per violation. For offenders on campus, however, it’s currently just a warning. Students like Lucas notice the rules, but whether it affects their smoking habits remains unclear.

The number of smokers caught varies daily. ‘On one day, a security guard may approach twelve people, while another guard only speaks to one,’ says a security officer at Tilburg University. As the leaves fall, those numbers might increase. Security expects a busy autumn as ‘most people sneak a smoke on campus when it rains so they can take cover.’

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