This is a list of colleges and universities identified as having smoke-free campus policies. They are those institutions of higher learning that have entirely prohibited smoking on campus, including all indoor areas and the majority of outdoor grounds. Campuses that allow smoking only in very remote outdoor areas are marked with an asterisk. The list also includes those institutions that have enacted such policies and whose date of implementation is pending. This list is not exhaustive, and campus policies may change over time. The list does not include those schools with designated smoking areas near buildings or walkways.
Smoke-free campus policies are introduced for a variety of health, safety, and environmental reasons, and may form part of wider tobacco-control measures in higher education. Many institutions have expanded their policies to include tobacco-free rules that also restrict smokeless tobacco and, in some cases, electronic nicotine-delivery systems, hookah use, or cannabis smoking and vaping.
The adoption and scope of smoke-free or tobacco-free campus policies vary internationally. In some countries, colleges and universities implement these policies voluntarily, while in others they are shaped by provincial, state, or national legislation. Large numbers of campuses in regions such as the United States and Canada have implemented comprehensive smoke-free or tobacco-free rules, with details provided in the regional sections below.
In some countries, smoke-free campus policies have become a common element of wider tobacco-control measures in higher education. As of 1 July 2025, the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation identified at least 2,581 campus sites in the United States and tribal jurisdictions with 100% smoke-free policies covering all indoor and outdoor areas; of these, 2,166 were also 100% tobacco-free, and many additionally prohibited e-cigarette use, hookah, and smoking or vaping cannabis on campus.
A 2022 national status report by the Canadian Cancer Society identified 100 university and college campuses in Canada with 100% smoke-free policies as of 13 August that year, many of which also explicitly restrict the use of cannabis, hookah and e-cigarettes.
Studies report that the implementation and enforcement of smoke-free and tobacco-free campus policies can vary across institutions, reflecting differences in campus settings and administrative approaches.
Background Smoke-free campus policies are typically introduced as part of institutional or college health, safety, and environmental strategies aimed at reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and limiting tobacco use in campus communities. Public health agencies commonly distinguish between “smoke-free” policies, which prohibit the smoking of combustible products, and “tobacco-free” policies, which also restrict smokeless tobacco and, increasingly, electronic nicotine-delivery systems. Some institutions and jurisdictions additionally include prohibitions on hookah, heated-tobacco products, and the smoking or vaping of cannabis.
According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, as of 1 July 2025, there were at least 2,581 U.S. and tribal college and university campus sites with 100% smokefree policies. Of the sites included in those policies, 2,166 were 100% tobacco-free, 2,271 prohibited the use of e-cigarette, 1,226 prohibited the use of hookah, 602 prohibited marijuana smoking or vaping, and 651 also included prohibiting smoking in personal vehicles located on campus in the policy rules.
nternational and national public-health organizations note that the development of campus policies is influenced by factors such as institutional governance, legal requirements, communication strategies, enforcement practices, and the availability of cessation support services. Assessments by agencies including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have reported substantial variation in the design and implementation of smoke-free and tobacco-free rules across countries, states, and individual institutions.
Research on policy effects indicates that comprehensive smoke-free or tobacco-free campus measures are associated with reductions in smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, and exposure to second-hand smoke among students and staff, although results differ across settings. Several reviews also note that some campuses report increases in electronic-cigarette use following the adoption of smoke-free policies, reflecting changing patterns of nicotine consumption among young adults.
Studies examining implementation and compliance have identified challenges such as inconsistent enforcement, differences in administrative capacity, and limited awareness of policies among students and staff. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing communication, monitoring, and institutional support in maintaining effective smoke-free or tobacco-free environments.
Asia
China According to a study published in 2025, as of 31 December 2024, educational facilities (including universities) across China now operate under comprehensive statutory smoke-free status under subnational laws, even if campus-specific institutional policies aren’t detailed. Some specific educational institutions that operate under a smoke-free policy include: Peking University* Tsinghua University* China University of Political Science and Law* University of Science & Technology Beijing* Liaoning Finance and Trade College*
Hong Kong Under Hong Kong’s Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), all schools, and specified educational establishments, including universities, post secondary colleges, and technical institutes are classified as non-smoking areas. Smoking is prohibited in all indoor outdoor and outdoor areas of these institutions, except where an exemption has been specifically provided by law. Guidance issued by the Department of Health outlines the implementation of comprehensive tobacco-control measures in educational settings, including signage, enforcement procedures, and campus-wide communication strategies.
Examples of Hong Kong higher-education institutions operating statutory no-smoking campuses include but are not limited to the following:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The University of Hong Kong The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Chu Hai College of Higher Education City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Baptist University The Education University of Hong Kong (formerly The Hong Kong Institute of Education) Hong Kong Shue Yan University Lingnan University Hong Kong Metropolitan University (formerly The Open University of Hong Kong) The Chinese University of Hong Kong
India
JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER)
Indonesia Faculty of Public Health Diponegoro University Universitas Airlangga (Surabaya, East Java)
Jordan
Jadara University
Macau University of Macau* Macao Polytechnic University
Philippines University of Santo Tomas De La Salle University – Dasmariñas Mapúa University - Makati and Intramuros Campuses Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) Saint Louis University (SLU), Baguio, Philippines Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Santa Rosa Campus)
United Arab Emirates HCT Dubai Men's College Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi America University of Sharjah Abu Dhabi University
Yemen Lebanese International University
Africa A number of universities in Africa have introduced campus-wide smoke-free policies as part of institutional health and environmental initiatives. The following institutions have published formal policies indicating that smoking is prohibited across their campuses:
Algeria
University of El Oued (Martyr Hama Lakhdar University of El Oued)
Egypt
Badr University, Cairo (BUC) Heliopolis University Kafrelsheikh University British University, Egypt (BUE)
Ghana
University of Cap Coast
South Africa
University of Western Cape (South Africa)
Oceania
Australia Australian Catholic University Australian National University Charles Sturt University Curtin University Deakin University Edith Cowan University Federation University Australia Griffith University La Trobe University Macquarie University Monash University Murdoch University University of Notre Dame Australia Queensland University of Technology RMIT University Swinburne University of Technology University of Adelaide University of Canberra University of Melbourne University of New South Wales University of South Australia University of Southern Queensland University of Technology Sydney University of Sydney University of Western Australia University of Wollongong Victoria University, Australia Western Sydney University
New Zealand University of Auckland University of Waikato Massey University Victoria University of Wellington University of Otago University of Canterbury Unitec
Europe Finland Finland’s tobacco legislation and official summaries explicitly list universities and vocational facilities as smoke-free places. University of Helsinki* University of Eastern Finland University of Turku
France EHESP School of public health, Rennes
The Netherlands Since 2020, through the Dutch Tobacco Act, Dutch law prohibits smoking on the campuses of all educational institutions, including universities. Universities implement and publicize this via institutional policies. Tilburg University Radboud University Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Ireland National University of Ireland University College Dublin University of Limerick Athlone Institute of Technology
Italy
University of Milano-Bicocca
Holy See Pontifical Lateran University
United Kingdom As of 2025, the UK does not have a single national university or educational establishment smoke-free law. However, universities each adopt their own policies. The following institutions have adopted smoke-free or tobacco-free campus policies: Imperial College London King's College London Northumbria University* University of BradfordAs of 2015, the college has put a number of areas on campus as smoking zones other than the area stated on the website.* University of Leeds University of the West of England – Frenchay Campus University of Warwick Teesside University – Darlington Campus Teesside University – Middlesbrough Campus
Turkey Bilkent University
Americas Smoke-free or tobacco-free campus policies in the Americas vary across countries and jurisdictions, reflecting differences in institutional decisions, legal requirements, and national tobacco-control frameworks. In some areas, colleges and universities adopt such policies voluntarily, while in others they are shaped by states, provincial, or federal legislation.
Canada Many Canadian universities and colleges have implemented campus-wide smoke-free or tobacco-free policies as part of institutional health and environmental measures. According to a national status report published by the Canadian Cancer Society, at least 100 post-secondary campuses across the country had implemented 100% smoke-free policies as of 13 August 2022, with many also prohibiting vaping, hookah use and the smoking or vaping of cannabis. Subsequent summaries have reported continued expansion of such policies. Inclusion in this list is based on individual institutional policies, which may vary in scope and implementation.
Alberta Ambrose University Bow Valley Collegehttps://bowvalleycollege.ca/-/media/bvc/home/student-resources/registrar/policies-and-procedures/smoke-free-campus-policy-march-2018.ashx?la=en&hash=808FC3715476F4CCC47A3D5E0A1E266BAED10B73 Burman University Concordia University of Edmonton Grande Prairie Regional College NorQuest College Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Southern Alberta Institute of Technology The King's University
British Columbia Douglas College Kwantlen Polytechnic University Langara College