What do we know about Tobacco in Trinity?
Tobacco Free Trinity: Does it work?
Yes, from July 2016 to February 2020, Trinity achieved a reduction in smoking of 79%. You can read more in our Living Lab paper here. Interestingly, after becoming a tobacco free campus, frequency of observed smoking increased somewhat but by December 2019, returned to similar frequency to the Tobacco Free Zones pilot.
Data are collected by Healthy Trinity Ambassadors who walk the campus 8 times per week during term time (4 times outside of term time) reminding people of the policy and counting how many people are smoking. It's part of Healthy Trinity's Living Lab approach to health promotion.
Tobacco Free Zones: Did they work?
Yes! Tobacco Free Zones were piloted from July 2016 to March 2019. During the first two years of the pilot there was an 83% reduction in smoking in them. A report on two year of tobacco free zones from 2016/2018 is here and from the first year of the zones from 2016/2017 is here.
We're grateful to those who respect the the Tobacco Free Zones policy. It means a cleaner campus and fresh air for all.
How many undergraduates in Trinity smoke?
Smoking rates are low
Research published in 2017 shows that only 7% are daily smokers and 12% are occasional smokers.
Support Non-Smokers
Over half of those who smoke, plan to stop in the next six months and rates of smoking are much lower in Trinity than they are amongst young people in the rest of Ireland.
Fresh Air for All
Nearly half of those who responded say they’ve been affected by second hand smoke at buildings.
How Did Your School/Faculty Do?
This survey was done by Trinity researchers from the Institute of Population Health. 840 students, either junior freshman or junior sophister, from the Schools of Nursing & Midwifery and Psychology and the Faculty of Engineering, Maths and Science completed the survey in October 2013. The chart above shows smoking rates for each of the schools.
If you’ve any comments on this article/post please email healthp@tcd.ie