Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) continues to solidify its position as a leading Conservation University through a strong commitment to promoting a smoke-free environment. Upholding the vision of a healthy and sustainable campus, UNNES enforces a comprehensive Smoke-Free Area (Kawasan Tanpa Rokok or KTR) Policy under Rector’s Regulation Number 111 of 2024. The regulation reflects UNNES’s consistent advocacy for healthy living in alignment with national public health directives issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Rector’s Regulation No. 111/2024 consolidates earlier provisions—Rector’s Regulation No. 124/2024 (for students) and Rector’s Regulation No. 23/2019 (for employees). The latest policy marks the most extensive and integrated smoke-free policy in the university’s history. The regulation explicitly prohibits smoking, vaping, and all forms of tobacco use across the UNNES environment, except in designated smoking areas designed with controlled ventilation systems to ensure minimal impact on surrounding air quality.
This regulation also affirms UNNES’s compliance with Ministry of Health Regulation No. 109/2012 concerning Tobacco Product Control and Regulation of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology No. 3/2020 promoting Healthy Campus Standards. The policy aims to safeguard the campus community—students, lecturers, and education staff—from the hazards of passive smoking while advancing a culture of well-being, productivity, and environmental awareness. Violations are subject to disciplinary measures, including verbal warnings, formal reprimands, community service assignments, or administrative fines.
The smoke-free policy applies to all areas at UNNES.
Smoke-Free Initiatives and Awareness Programs
UNNES’s smoke-free campaign extends beyond policy to continuous education and behavioral transformation programs. The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), for example, shows their contribution by organizing thematic events such as the World No Tobacco Day Commemoration every May. The 2024 celebration carried the theme “Choose Health, Not Tobacco,” featuring expert talks, poster exhibitions, and campus-wide declarations against smoking. Deputy Dean II of FMIPA, Dr. Isnarto, M.Sc., highlighted that “tobacco smoke harms not only the user but also the community. Our shared space must remain clean and breathable for everyone”.
The event concluded with a ceremonial signing of a No Smoking Declaration Charter, committing all attendees, including faculty and staff, to preserve the clean-air principles of the campus. These activities are integrated into UNNES’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives, specifically Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.
Creating a Healthy and Comfortable Campus Environment
The Rector Prof. Dr. S. Martono, M.Si., expressed that maintaining a smoke-free environment is a key success to a green campus. “We must remember how valuable clean air and a healthy environment are, especially within educational settings. As a conservation-oriented university, UNNES is committed to creating a smoke-free environment. I encourage all members of UNNES — lecturers, staff, and students — to join hands in making this movement a success. In support of this initiative, let us reduce or eliminate the habit of smoking to protect our health and our environment,” he emphasized.
Through strict enforcement, continuous awareness-building, and active involvement from all campus members, he continued, UNNES demonstrates its sincerity in creating a safe, healthy, and inspirational academic environment. As UNNES moves forward, its consistent anti-smoking efforts stand as a model for higher education institutions nationwide. The conservation institution reaffirms that a “Clean Mind, Clean Air” ethos is inseparable from academic integrity and sustainable living.
