Trinity Hall may become a designated tobacco-free zone in line with Trinity’s expanding tobacco-free campus policies.
College’s Health Promotion Officer Martina Mullen spoke at Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council this evening to seek feedback from students on the prospect of Trinity Hall being designated a tobacco-free campus.
Trinity’s main campus officially became tobacco-free, with the exception of three designated smoking areas, in March 2019 following the expansion of tobacco-free zones, including Fellow’s Square, the Health Centre, and the Sports Centre, to the entire campus.
Mullen did not receive significant response supporting or opposing the idea of a tobacco-free Trinity Hall from Council. Engineering, Mathematics and Sciences (EMS) Faculty Convenor Daniel O’Reilly suggested that a lack of enforcement would reduce the effectiveness of the tobacco-free campus scheme. Mullen emphasised that the tobacco-free campus is a policy rather than a rule and reiterated the significant drop in smoking on Trinity’s main campus, noting a similar policy would be operated in Trinity Hall if it were introduced.
The College Health Centre has reported an 80% decrease in smoking on campus since the introduction of tobacco-free zones in 2016.
Another initiative underway which Mullen described is the creation of a “chill” space outside the Pavilion Bar (the Pav) to offer students an alternative to smoking areas, identifying the social aspect of outdoor smoking at events.
Over 1,000 students currently reside in Trinity Hall, most of whom are first years. Additionally, Trinity Hall is home to second year students who are members of the Junior Common Room (JCR) and third year Scholars.
TCDSU Council took place this evening in the Stanley Quek theatre of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) building.
