Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) implements a comprehensive tobacco control framework that combines a campus-wide smoke-free policy, restrictions on industry influence, educational and clinical initiatives, and innovative cessation support led by the Faculty of Medicine. The University’s smoke-free policy (2021) designates all university-controlled premises as smoke-free areas, while flagship projects such as the Tobacco Consumption Control Project and the Thai Physicians Alliance Against Tobacco (Tpaat) provide national-level training, mobile application–based cessation support, and clinical guidelines, aligning SWU with global best practices in tobacco control.
1) Prohibition of tobacco sales within the university premises
SWU’s institutional environment discourages tobacco sales and commercial tobacco presence on campus. The Smoke-free Policy (2021) explicitly prohibits any faculty or internal unit from receiving financial support, prizes, or engaging in sales promotion activities with tobacco companies or their representatives, thereby blocking key channels typically used for tobacco marketing and indirect sales promotion within university premises.
Source: https://rankings.swu.ac.th/swu-sdgs/sdg-3/336
2) Complete ban on smoking within all university-owned or controlled properties
The Smoke-free Policy declares all areas within the University and those under its supervision as smoke-free, except for specifically designated smoking areas that must comply with national tobacco control regulations. This includes hospitals, clinics, health service facilities, demonstration schools, childcare centres, playgrounds, and a 5-metre radius from all entrances and exits, as well as university welfare shuttle buses and their waiting areas. Faculties and units are required to classify their areas as smoke-free in line with the Thai Tobacco Products Control Act.
Source: https://rankings.swu.ac.th/swu-sdgs/sdg-3/336
3) Educational campaigns to inform students and staff about the risks associated with smoking
SWU implements comprehensive educational campaigns on the risks of smoking and vaping, led primarily by the Faculty of Medicine through national-level tobacco control initiatives. The Tobacco Consumption Control Project delivers training workshops, academic conferences, and prevention programs focusing on tobacco harms, cessation strategies, and smoking-related chronic diseases. Public communication materials disseminated via the University’s SDG platform raise awareness of the dangers of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, especially among youth and new smokers. These efforts are strengthened by evidence from the Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Study, which provides reliable, University-wide baseline data on smoking and vaping behaviour—showing a prevalence of only 3.33% (students 4.67%, staff 2.00%)—and is used to design targeted awareness campaigns based on actual behavioural patterns within the campus community.
Source: Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Report.pdf
4) Prohibition of tobacco-related advertisements on campus
The same Smoke-free Policy (Clause 11) prohibits all university units from accepting financial support or prizes from tobacco companies or their representatives, and from engaging in any tobacco sales promotion within the University. This effectively bans tobacco-related advertising, sponsorship, and promotional activities on campus, ensuring that students and staff are not exposed to commercial tobacco messaging in university-controlled environments.
Source: https://rankings.swu.ac.th/swu-sdgs/sdg-3/336
5) Counseling and referral services for smoking cessation available to students and staff
SWU offers structured cessation and referral pathways through the Faculty of Medicine’s national tobacco control projects. These include the development of a nationwide cessation clinic network, Tobacco Cessation Provider (TCP) and Instructor (TCI) training courses, and improved referral systems between FaaSai Clinics and the 1600 Quitline—providing cessation services to 185,748 individuals, with 30,731 achieving six-month cessation. The results of the Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Study further support these services by identifying behavioural risk profiles within the University population and enabling the integration of cessation referral options into health-promotion screening tools. Students and staff who reported cigarette or vaping use (3.33% overall) can be directly linked to existing cessation services offered by SWU-affiliated clinics, ensuring accessible and evidence-informed pathways to quitting.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/phasaiclinic101
Source: Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Report.pdf
6) Any other innovative tobacco control measures implemented
SWU demonstrates several innovative tobacco control measures that go beyond standard smoke-free policies. Through the Tobacco Consumption Control Project: Medical Professional Network led by the Faculty of Medicine, the University has developed and implemented a mobile application for tobacco cessation, organised specialised workshops on cessation and smoking prevention in patients with chronic diseases, and hosted national conferences on tobacco control. The project also builds extensive professional and institutional networks, including participation in the National Alliance for Tobacco-free Thailand and international collaboration with visitors from the Myanmar Parliament and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Health, while contributing to the expansion of the “Smart Quit Clinic” network to 570 hospitals nationwide. These activities collectively aim to reduce smoking prevalence, improve quality of life for patients with chronic diseases, and decrease second-hand smoke exposure among children.
Complementing these interventions, SWU has introduced a university-wide Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Study as a data-driven mechanism for monitoring tobacco use within its own community. Conducted in the 2024 academic year using an anonymous, self-administered online questionnaire and a two-stage random sampling design, the study surveyed 600 participants (300 students and 300 staff) and found an overall cigarette or vaping prevalence of 3.33% (students 4.67%, staff 2.00%). The rigorous methodology and comprehensive coverage across faculties and staff roles provide a reliable baseline for planning, targeting, and evaluating future tobacco control and cessation initiatives on campus, demonstrating that SWU’s tobacco control strategy integrates both innovative service delivery and systematic behavioural surveillance.
Source: Smoking and Vaping Prevalence Report.pdf