Projects & Research Partnerships

Introduction

The Smoke-Free University Initiative is a collaboration between Sheffield City Council and the University of Sheffield to review the smoke-free policy at University sites.

Sheffield City Council has ambitions for Sheffield to be the first city in the UK to achieve smoke-free status in university, college and hospital settings.

Informing university decision-making through student-led research

As part of this initiative, a series of student-led projects have been initiated as part of the Masters in Public Health and MBChB medicine courses to collect information specific to the University on the problem, opinions and options for new policy.

This research has highlighted issues of campus litter, individual rights, the link between smoking and student stress, problems of smoking near buildings, no-smoking signage, policy on e-cigarettes, convenience of designated smoking areas, equality and impact on smokers with disabilities.

Reports

Gillespie D, Freeman I, Green E, Hudson E, Mahamed A, Hock E (2024) An observational study of tobacco smoking and vaping on University of Sheffield sites. Observation period: October 2024, University of Sheffield. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E6CRK

Gillespie D, Farroha A, Kirk R, Mallender J, Leeming G, Hock E (2023) An observational study of smoking on University of Sheffield sites: November 2023, University of Sheffield. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GT9FP

References

• Smokefree Sheffield – also see the Sheffield Tobacco Strategy briefing document
• Roadmap to a smokefree 2030 
• University of Sheffield estimates of the cost of smoking (work led by Duncan Gillespie) – see Section 3 of the report
• University of Sheffield modelling of whether England will meet the smokefree 2030 target (work led by Duncan Gillespie) – see Section 2.6 of the report
• University of Sheffield contribute to Royal College of Physicians report – Smoking and health 2021: A coming of age for tobacco control?
• Policies for Tobacco and E-Cigarette Use: A Survey of All Higher Education Institutions and NHS Trusts in England 
• Living review of smoking and COVID-19 
• Moderators of changes in smoking, drinking and quitting behaviour associated with the first COVID-19 lockdown in England 

Research team

Dr Duncan Gillespie and Dr Emma Hock are researchers at the University of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) and university representatives on Sheffield City Council's Tobacco Control Board, a multi-institutional collaboration to address smoking in the city.

Amanda Pickard is a Public Health Improvement Officer at Sheffield City Council, and current student on the ScHARR Masters of Public Health. Amanda has previously supported Sheffield Hallam University to review its smoke-free policy.

A working group of university and community stakeholders is being convened by the university to review the smoke-free policy and give recommendations.