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UNSW Smoke Free Policy

The harmful effects of smoking tobacco are well-known and there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

Published on the 05 October 2017
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UNSW is committed to protecting its staff, students, contractors and visitors from all hazards including second-hand smoke. For this reason UNSW campuses will be entirely smoke-free from May 31, which is World No Tobacco Day. 

Being a smoke free campus aligns UNSW’s world leading health education and research with best practice policy to encourage healthy behaviour by students and staff.

UNSW’s Smoke Free Environment Policy applies to all university grounds including vehicles, boats and residential accommodation.

The Smoke-Free Environment Policy will apply to all forms of tobacco smoking, including cigarettes, cigars and water pipe tobacco smoking. The policy applies to anyone on UNSW premises, including staff, students and visitors, so if you are hosting an event or meeting, or engaging the services of suppliers, please ensure they are aware of the new policy.

The University recognises that staff and students have a right to choose whether to smoke. However, the University also recognises that non-smoking staff and students have the right to work and study in an environment that is not polluted by environmental tobacco smoke.

For staff, compliance with the policy is a condition of employment, and for students, compliance with the policy is a condition of enrolment.

View the UNSW Smoke Free Environment Policy.

Designated smoking areas

In July 2012, the University took a step towards smoke-free campuses by introducing designated smoking areas. From 31 May 2014 designated smoking areas are no longer in effect and have been removed as smoking is no longer permitted anywhere on UNSW campuses.

Smoking is banned on campus and the University provides signage to clearly identify our campuses as being smoke-free. Information is also made available to those smokers seeking assistance to quit.

Please help to keep UNSW a smoke-free environment by:

  • Refraining from smoking while on campus
  • Informing visitors that UNSW is smoke-free and seek their co-operation
  • If you see someone smoking support them by politely indicating that UNSW is smoke-free and directing them to smoke off campus.

Smoking cessation support

The University encourages staff and students' participation in quit smoking initiatives.

As an alternative to abruptly stopping ("cold turkey"), many treatment options are available to aid smokers to cease smoking. These treatments range from the provision of advice (such as telephone-based coaching) and intensive behavioural support (i.e. counselling) to pharmacological treatment including nicotine replacement therapies (delivered via adhesive skin patch, oral or nasal spray, chewing gum or lozenge), to prescription medications.

Students and staff should consult their preferred medical practitioner or health care provider to determine their most suitable treatment options.

What else is UNSW doing to reduce smoking rates?

UNSW is implementing a health and wellbeing campaign to help reduce smoking by students and staff. For assistance to quit smoking contact:

Information packs, posters and pamphlets to assist persons wanting to quit smoking are available at: 

A range of factsheets explaining the NSW Government’s smoke free environment laws are also available: