A smoke-free campus

Welcome to a smoke-free campus. Utrecht Science Park, the International Campus Utrecht and the UU locations in the city centre are now completely smoke-free. In this way, together we ensure a healthy and sustainable environment to study or work in.

Welcome to our smoke-free campus! During the start of the new Academic Year 2021-2022 this message will be actively communicated to students and staff of Utrecht University, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and other Utrecht Science Park partners.

Which areas are now smoke-free?

City centre and International Campus Utrecht

Smoking is prohibited in all university building courtyards and gardens (view map, login required). Smoking is also prohibited within seven meters of the entrances to buildings adjacent to public property. The International College Utrecht campus is also a non-smoking area. We urgently request that students and employees avoid smoking near the surrounding homes and businesses, to avoid causing inconvenience to residents and shoppers.

Utrecht Science Park

The Utrecht Science Park is smoke-free. This includes the premises of the other organisations, including the Botanical Gardens and the Olympos Sports Centre. The municipal green areas, bus stops and public roads are also smoke-free. See the maps below for the full non-smoking areas.

Een street art-afbeelding ter promotie van de rookvrije campus. Aan de linkerzijde een ongezond ogende mond met een sigaret en een kruisje. Aan de rechterzijde een gezond ogende mond met een wortel tussen de tanden en ernaast een vinkje — In the first weeks of the Academic Year 2021-2022, you will come across these street art expressions at various locations in Utrecht Science Park, the city centre and the International Campus Utrecht.

Enforcement

We have enforcement officers walking around on UU grounds. They enforce the smoking policy. You may also be reminded of the policy by other UU employees. We all share responsibility for keeping the university premises smoke-free. When necessary, we hold each other accountable for our behaviour. This also applies when a colleague or fellow student is smoking in a smoke-free area.

Smoking tolerated spots

There are a limited number of 'smoking tolerated spots' in Utrecht Science Park. These spots have been determined by the municipality. This ensures an alternative for smokers, without having to cause inconvenience to others.

Why has the government implemented a smoking ban on school premises?

Each year, more than 200,000 people in the Netherlands die from smoking or second-hand smoke. The national government and other organisations have therefore set the goal of a smoke-free generation by 2040. That means no more children start smoking, and pregnant mothers stop smoking as well. The Accord also states that the number of adult smokers should be reduced from 23% to a maximum of 5%. Smoke-free school premises - not just primary schools, but also secondary schools and higher education - are an essential element of the prevention policy.

Are you allowed to smoke on the bicycle paths?

The bicycle paths between the designated areas are university property, so the smoking ban applies to them as well.

Does the smoking-ban also apply to electronic cigarettes?

The smoking-ban also applies to electronic cigarettes and shisha-pens. Evidence shows that the potential health damage of these products is considerable.

Will the ban be enforced in public areas, such as the roads and curbs that are city property?

We are not authorised to enforce the ban in public areas, though this may change over the course of 2022.

Why are the parking lots and meadows around the buildings not smoke-free?

The non-smoking area includes the parts of the campus near the buildings owned by the university and Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and the areas between these buildings. This is where most student traffic is located, and is where the ban will be enforced.

What are the sanctions for offenders?

The university cannot impose fines. The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority is the supervisory body and may administer fines ranging from € 600 to € 4,500 per violation of the smoking ban. These fines will be imposed on the university, not the offender, but all or part of the cost of fine may be billed to the offender. However, we will first start with addressing people and monitor how things are going.

What about student housing?

The property on which student housing is located is property of Utrecht University, and is therefore also smoke-free. The student housing facilities do have zones where smoking is tolerated for residents only. The Stichting Studentenhuisvesting (SSH) will inform the residents about the consequences of the ban in more detail.

Would you like to quit smoking?

Visit your doctor for advice. A general practitioner can give stop smoking advice and refer you to a stop smoking programme. Health insurances reimburse these programmes in full and they are not at the expense of the 'eigen risico'.
At www.ikstopnu.nl (Dutch) you can find information and tips on quitting smoking.
Utrecht University has a number of stop-smoking books available for employees who would like to stop smoking. Interested? Send an email to rookvrij@uu.nl and include 'Book' in the subject line.
Are you a manager and would you like to support your staff in giving up smoking? Then watch the webinar 'Samen Sterker Stoppen' (Stopping Stronger Together).