New campaign puts campus smoking ban in the spotlight

The campaign balloon, which is several meters in diameter, will be moved to a new location on the TU/e campus every day over the coming week. On Monday, it was on the Koeveld; on Tuesday, it can be found on the Fluxveld.

The working group behind the anti-smoking campaign has also had new no-smoking signs installed across the university grounds, while flags carrying the same message are flying along the Limbopad. When you are waiting for a cup of coffee, you can also see the campaign on the screen of the vending machine.

“With a new group of students arriving and Stoptober approaching, the campaign launch date was chosen strategically,” says Erwin Kerkhof, who works at the Sustainability Office and is a member of the working group that organized the campaign.

Reminding, not punishing

The campaign is intended to make the existing smoking ban across the entire TU/e campus more visible. “We don't want to punish people. Instead, we hope the campaign will encourage more people to feel comfortable speaking up when they see someone smoking,” Kerkhof says.

Security is also involved in the campaign. According to Hay Becks, coordinator at TU/e Security and also a member of the campaign group, imposing sanctions is not always effective. “People can become aggressive when you give them a penalty.”

The approach, therefore, is to change the environment. The balloon, signs and flags communicate the message at various locations across campus.

Fine

Smoking has been prohibited on educational premises since 2020. Last year, TU/e received a fine from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority for failing to adequately enforce the law. “They looked at how many cigarette butts were lying on the ground across campus, and there were too many,” Becks says. Such a fine can amount to up to 4,500 euros.

Security knows of certain locations where members of the TU/e community regularly smoke. According to Becks, the basement of the Auditorium is a popular spot, while the area behind the Spar is also a smoking hotspot. Security therefore regularly patrols these locations.

According to security, people are approached at least ten times a day. During the summer, they see an increase in the number of people smoking on campus.

Successful

Ultimately, the campaign's success will be determined by how smokers behave on campus. A reduction in the number of cigarette butts on the ground is an important indicator. But according to Becks, it is also about raising awareness.

“The campaign will be successful when security has to approach fewer people and people cooperate more,” he says.