“Shouldn’t we even smoke here?” »Amine looks surprised. This first year master’s student at the University Center for Journalism Education in Strasbourg was anyway at the end of his cigarette break in front of the Escarpe. One of the university buildings, the entrances to which have been made non-smoking since November 1, as part of the “Tobacco-free Campus” operation.
“There is no poster or signage on this subject in this building,” notes the young man. The initiative? Amine finds it “pretty good”: “But I don’t think it will change anything when I use it. I’ll just have to go further to go smoke. Afterwards, people who smoke four or five cigarettes a day, maybe that will demotivate them… ”
“We should put the means before”
Same opinion for Yanis, student in M1 teaching. On this Thursday morning, he just noticed the poster for the “Tobacco-free Campus” in the window of the Portico, one of the other buildings involved in the operation. “The ashtrays are still in place in front of the entrances, it encourages people to smoke here,” he emphasizes.
In front of the Patio, one of the most frequented places of the university, they are still numerous to grill one under the courtyard of the building. “When you want to put in place a measure, you should put the means before: move the ashtrays, set up a place for smokers to take shelter”, breaths in chorus a group of students in socio.
Smoking areas by the end of 2022
“We do not yet have the reflex”, launches for her part Mathilde, 22 years old, in Master 2 of sociology. “As I have just seen the poster, I have shifted a bit, but as it is not demarcated, I do not know whether I should go a meter or five …” She observes however that “since the pandemic, there are fewer people in front of the entrances. Before, it was sometimes crowded ”.
If there is still some way to go to dispel the smoke, all the students interviewed agree on the merits of the operation. Alexandre Tatay, press officer of Unistra, insists on the progressive aspect of the approach: “The establishment of smoking areas is planned for the end of 2022, with ashtrays installed in these places. There, students and staff are invited to move away from the entrances. “
A first on a university scale
In support of the communication campaign, around twenty students, “specifically trained” to become “tobacco mediators”, will roam the campus until November 25. Their objective ? “Collect the opinions of students and staff, and especially what people want,” says Alexandre Tatay. “They will also invite the students to meet the staff of the university health service, in particular to help them quit smoking. “
The “Tobacco-free Campus” initiative, launched in October 2019 after obtaining a budget of 191,000 euros as part of a call for projects from the regional health agency (ARS), is the first in France to scale of a university. With a clear ambition, according to Alexandre Tatay: “That the entire campus be smoke-free by the end of 2022.” By then, the university intends to put the package together.