University of Limerick to become entirely smoke-free campus from tomorrow

University of Limerick is to become an entirely smoke-free campus from tomorrow.

Friday, June 1 will mark the beginning of UL's all-out ban on smoking across all university campuses, including the Stables, off-campus student accommodation owned by UL, and various UL hubs and activity centres in the city. This will include the use of vapes, electronic cigars, and electronic pipes, whether they provide nicotine hits or not. UL has said that they want to "... create a healthier, smoke and vape free, environment for its employees, students, contractors and visitors." As part of the Department of Health's Healthy Ireland initiative, they are banning smoking from tomorrow as one of the world's "biggest health threats." They said they want to:

"... develop an Ireland, where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society and is everyone’s responsibility."

Last year, UL designated a few smoke-free specific areas, but now the university has committed to their entirely smoke-free policy. UL's new policy will apply to the following on campus areas:

• Buildings and residences
• doorways and entrances
• walkways
• parkland
• roads and car parks
• pitches and sports facilities (including spectator spaces)
• the curtilage, balconies, terrace
• outdoor seating of accommodation
• restaurant and club/bar facilities
• cars parked on university campus grounds
• bicycle sheds and bus shelters on university grounds.

All staff and students are require to comply with the policy as of June 1. According to the HSE, there are 5,500 smoking-related deaths in Ireland every year. One in every two long-term Irish smokers will die from a tobacco related disease.