University Health Services

Since January 1, 2014, the entire UC Berkeley campus is a smoke and tobacco-free environment.

The UC Office of the President charged all UC campuses to go smoke- and tobacco-free to save lives and improve the health of our community. The policy prohibits the use of tobacco, smokeless tobacco (e.g. moist snuff, chewing tobacco, snus), and unregulated nicotine products (e.g. “e-cigarettes”) at all indoor and outdoor spaces owned or leased by UC Berkeley.

The aim of this policy is to:

• Create a healthier environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors;
• Support tobacco users who are trying to quit; and
• Reduce the number of new tobacco users by promoting the social norm of a tobacco-free environment.

Read more:

• Full policy from the UC Office of the President(link is external)
• UC Berkeley Campus Policy(link is external)
• Fact Sheet
• Quick Facts
• Talking Points
• California Government Code(link is external)

Tobacco-Free Map

• Yellow Areas: City of Berkeley Smoke-Free Zones. Smoking is prohibited in the City of Berkeley commercial zones (including sidewalks). 
• Dark Blue Areas: University of California, Berkeley Tobacco-Free Zones. Tobacco use is prohibited on all UC-owned or leased property. 
• Light Blue Areas: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Learn more about Smoking at the Lab(link is external).

This map was created with the support and services of the Geospatial Innovation Facility (GIF)(link is external) at UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources.

Support a Smoke-Free campus by integrating messages and practices into the communities you are a part of.

Post Breathe materials

• Download Breathe campaign graphics(link is external) and 1) Post in your office or campus residence, 2) Post at known smoking hotspots and building entrances, 3) Add to your website with a hyperlink to this site, 4) Upload as the wallpaper or screen saver on your personal or departmental devices.
• Affix "Thank you for not smoking here" decals (6"x8"), especially to cover outdated "no smoking" signage (email hpromo@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) to request). 

Influence your community

• Reference the Tobacco-Free policy in orientations for new members/staff.
• Organize a cigarette butt pick-up(link is external) for the area outside your building.
• Discuss how to create a healthier environment within your community, and include smoking-related issues as part of that.
• Use one of UCOP's sample communications to deliver a proactive message to your staff/community members.

Talk to individuals

• Reach out to offer non-judgmental support to community members who might be trying to quit smoking.
• Respectfully let people know when they are in violation of the Smoke-Free policy.

If someone is smoking on UC property, feel free to say something. When you let someone know that their behavior has an impact on you in a respectful manner, you may be able to influence them to make a change.

You may yield better results by requesting that the smoker modify their behavior (could you kindly move to location X?) rather than criticizing their choice to smoke, describing the negative health effects of smoking, or citing campus policies.

• "Excuse me, may I make a request? I'm working on keeping myself healthy lately, and I've noticed that I'm especially sensitive to smoke. Would you be willing to smoke somewhere else or put out your cigarette for the time being?"
• "Hello, I realize you wouldn't know this, but I have asthma/allergies and I would be really appreciative if you could smoke in a different location."
• "I don't like to be around cigarette smoke. I'll wait for you over here."

It may help to practice in advance how you would say something to different people (e.g. classmate, co-worker, stranger, etc.).

• Sample Scripts for Talking with Smokers
• Supervisor Talking Points

You can give this "thank you for not smoking"(link is external) card to people who are smoking/vaping on campus. Print, or contact hpromo@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) for pre-printed cards.