If you’re a student in Edinburgh, you probably walk by students smoking or vaping every day; cigarettes sometimes seem like an appendage of the Edinburgh University student. But what role does university culture play in this, and what could potential smoking and vaping bans mean for students?
The UK has a large portion of young smokers; according to a report by Statista, 11.6 per cent of people aged 18-24 were current smokers in 2022. Edinburgh is certainly not lacking in smokers; in a survey on The Student’s social media, almost 59 per cent reported smoking or vaping in some capacity. Most of the students I spoke with either smoked or vaped to some effect. They report using cigarettes mostly as a social tool.
One second year student, who picked up their smoking habit in secondary school, claimed that at the start they would smoke only at social events. This is exacerbated by university culture, “everyone would smoke after classes. It’s a good way to make friends,” says the student, who reports an increase in their smoking habits when they came to university.
This isn’t unique among university students; another second year claims, “Smoking is something to do when I’m partying.” A different student spoke to me about her change in smoking habits, “I had never smoked a cigarette in my life before I came to uni.” This soon changed.
Despite all these students having reported changes in their smoking habits when they came to university, they deny it to be due to peer pressure.
Vaping, on the other hand, can easily become a frequent solitary habit. “I would vape in my room all the time when I was working,” says the first student I spoke to. Due to its lack of smoke and easy concealment, it is dangerously easy to become addicted. This student mentions craving a vape when taking their mock exams for A-levels, as the habit of vaping while they studied had become so frequent. The phenomenon is particularly popular among young people; according to another report by Statista, 18 per cent of 18-year-olds have a vaping habit. One student I spoke to claimed price as a reason for her vaping; though her smoking was in decline, she turned to vapes as a more inexpensive option. Thanks to cheap deals on vapes, popular in corner shops around Edinburgh, students are further inclined to turn to the habit.
These smoking and vaping habits could come crashing down, however, if the outdoor smoking bans considered earlier in the year go into effect. What is causing the most controversy is that this could mean a ban on smoking in pub gardens, which are widely considered a pinnacle of British socialisation. This ban has divided smokers and non-smokers; according to a survey by YouGov, 57 per cent of non-smokers support the ban, but only one in ten smokers do. The reaction from students reflects this division.
“I’d kill myself,” says one second year student. “I think it’s a good idea for parks and stuff, but if I want to smoke a cigarette outside Potterrow, I want to be able to.” Some students agreed with this, using words like “personal freedoms” and “big government” in their comments.
However, nearly 23 per cent of those who answered our survey said they strongly agreed with it. Those in support of the ban were mostly non-smokers. They mentioned how smoking is selfish and how social smoking perpetuates the habit. One student’s response encapsulated both reactions: “The government is pursuing a health policy to the detriment of the social and community benefits that smoking brings”. It’s a trade-off; for the country’s improved health, sacrifices have to be made.
In addition to more forceful smoking regulations, Scotland will also implement a ban on single use vapes. The ban is indented to come into effect in April of 2025. Contrary to the crackdown on smoking regulations which were proposed for health issues, this legislation was proposed due to vaping’s environmental impact. Zero Waste Scotland reports that around 26 million vapes were consumed last year, with ten per cent of those being disposed of incorrectly. This has received a better reaction than the potential ban on outdoor smoking, 82 per cent supported the ban. Student reactions from our survey reflected this as well; one student expressed how dangerous the marketing of vapes is towards young people, among which vaping is the most popular.
Smoking and vaping will stick around; despite the health and environmental implications, young people adopt these habits for various reasons without much consideration for their health. But slowly, norms will change, and perhaps in a few years, cigarettes will no longer be a common accessory to an Edinburgh night out.
“CIGARETTE” by Fried Dough is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.